


Judgement Day

by Stranger_Lumax



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Mentions of past abuse, Rated For Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 97,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24746665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stranger_Lumax/pseuds/Stranger_Lumax
Summary: The house was quiet, almost too quiet, but that wasn’t unusual these days.After the Demodogs take over the town of Hawkins, the Party finds themselves alone. Can they find a way out, before it’s too late?
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers & Eleven | Jane & Dustin Henderson & Maxine Mayfield & Lucas Sinclair & Mike Wheeler
Comments: 59
Kudos: 63





	1. The Beginning

The house was quiet, almost too quiet, but that wasn’t unusual these days. Max and El sat in the middle of the living room, a pile of cards in between them as they leaned against the two opposite couches of the Byers living room. 

The two girls were still in their pajamas, even though it was well past noon, the sun starting to go down outside. A pile of various pillows, blankets and sleeping bags lay shoved in the corner, moved out of the way to make space for their card game.

“Max.” El whispered gently, snapping her friend out of her thoughts. 

“Hm?” 

“It’s..your turn.” 

“Oh...y-yeah sorry.” Max mumbled, laying down a card. She tried to focus on her own cards as she felt El’s eyes trained on her, her face growing hot. She hadn’t meant to zone out...again, but it was so easy to get lost in her own thoughts nowadays. 

“Max-“ El started gently. 

“I’m fine.” She heard herself reply automatically. She didn’t even know if it was true anymore, just that if she could get them to believe it they’d get off her back. 

“I’m not stupid, you’re not fine. I know you’re thinking about him.” The redhead glanced up at her friend, before throwing the rest of her cards into the middle with a sigh. She didn’t need her friend to specify who she was referring to. 

“I’m that obvious, huh?” 

“No-well yes- but you also mumble in your sleep.” Max felt her face grow hotter. Yes, she’d been having nightmares that something had happened to Lucas and Mike, but she wasn’t aware she had ever talked in her sleep, it made her wonder what else her friends had heard her say. 

“It’s just...it’s been three days. Usually they’re back by now but...” she mumbled quietly, leaving her sentence hanging in the air as she picked at the thick carpet. “Don’t you miss him?” 

“I’m sure they’re ok.” El said encouragingly, choosing to ignore the question. She tried to give her friend a brave smile, but she was just as worried, Mike was gone too, and Lucas was like her brother. 

Max weakly returned the smile, picking at a loose thread on her pajama pants. 

“Do you want to try cards again?” El asked, trying to change the subject to take their minds off the boys. 

Max shook her head, pulling her knees to her chest. “No, no I’m done with cards. We’ve been playing for hours.” She said softly. 

El nodded. “Should we start dinner then?” Max shook her head slowly, muttering a small “not right now” as she rested her head against her knees. 

“Max you haven’t eaten anything all day. C'mon it’ll take our minds off of them for awhile.” 

Max shook her head again. “Max-“ the redhead shook her head again, a little more forcefully this time, and El realized maybe this time, she didn’t  _ want _ to stop thinking about them. 

Max blew out a shaky breath and looked out the front window for the millionth time in three days. A single tear ran down her cheek but she quickly wiped it away, hoping El hadn’t seen. She had, but El knew better than to push her best friend. It wouldn’t go anywhere, Max only opened up to Lucas now. 

“We could go talk to the boys.” She suggested, gesturing to Will’s closed bedroom door. Dustin and Will had been silently working all morning. 

“No, they’re our only chance to survive right now. We can’t bother them.” 

El’s head dropped and she swallowed down the lump in her throat, trying to remember how everything had gone wrong. A million questions ran through her mind, but she knew the answers to all of them, even though she didn’t want to admit it. 

Why couldn’t they leave? Because of the swarms of demodogs surrounding everywhere  _ but _ the Byers house. They reacted mostly to very loud sounds, and the smell of blood. 

Why did Mike and Lucas have to leave for days at a time? Because it was the only way to get supplies if they wanted to survive this. And the two of them were the best fighters, aside from El when she had her powers, but right now they were on and off, and they couldn’t risk that. The boys were also looking for new routes, for a way they could leave this town, and find help. 

Why were Dustin and Will their only chance of survival? The two of them, together, knew the most about the Upside Down and the monsters, if there was any chance of escaping, Will and Dustin would figure it out. 

All four boys had decided to leave the girls out of all of this, even when they objected, which only turned into the argument that the boys wanted them to be safe, and didn’t want them hurt, and no matter what, the boys always  _ somehow _ won that argument. 

They didn’t know where the older kids were. Steve, Nancy, Jonathan and Robin had gone out on a mission and didn’t come back, the kids had been alone for almost two months now, everyday growing quieter. They couldn’t sleep, jumping at every little noise they heard in the darkness as they huddled together, and when Lucas and Mike were gone, it only got worse. Not only because everyone was worried about their safety but also because none of them knew about what was going on out in the world, Mike and Lucas never said anything. 

The front door swung open, slamming into the wall, and Max and El both jumped, instinctively reaching for eachother. Lucas stumbled in, Mike’s arm draped over his shoulder as he tried and struggled to hold his weight. He tossed his and Mike’s backpacks toward the couch, adjusting Mike’s weight to hold him up better. 

The two of them were bloodied and bruised, their clothes torn and their faces dirty. Mike looked the worst, sweating and paler than usual with purple bruises forming on his bare arms, but the worst part was his leg. The pant leg of his jeans was torn open, revealing a large gash from his knee to his shin. It was bloodied to the point that they couldn’t see where the blood on his jeans ended and the wound on his leg started. 

“Max...Will, Dustin...first aid...go.” Lucas panted as the two girls jumped up. She nodded, quickly disappearing down the hallway. 

“Mike what happened?” El asked as she helped Lucas guide the taller boy over to the couch. 

“Attacked.” He mumbled, as Lucas fell onto the couch next to him, throwing an arm over his face. “Attacked? Attacked by who?” 

Max returned to the living room, Dustin and Will close behind. “That’s way worse than I thought.” Dustin muttered under his breath as the two of them kneeled down to examine the boy's leg. Will carefully ran a finger over a section of the gash, causing Mike to hiss in pain. 

“Easy.” He groaned. 

Max sat down next to Lucas, and he forced a small smile. “Hey.” He said gently, noticing the worry on her face. 

“Hi.” She said back, sounding as small as she felt. Lucas looked as if he wanted to say something, but Mike yelled out in pain as Dustin started cleaning the wound, turning their attention back to the rest of the group. El squeezed his hand as tears started to spill down his cheeks.

“Will, hand me that rag...thanks. Here take this.” Dustin said, passing Will a bottle of hydroperoxide. Since they’d been stuck alone here, Dustin had become their expert for first aid, with much more valuable information that Max’s skateboarding wound knowledge.

“What happened?” Max whispered, turning back toward Lucas and gently running her finger over one of the bruises on his cheek. He flinched back when her skin made contact, despite her touch being extremely light. She watched him sadly, slowly dropping her hand from his face as he consciously tried to relax his expression. 

“ _ Don’t _ even try.” She said firmly, Lucas laughed anxiously. 

“Yeah ok it hurts a little, but it’s probably not as bad as it looks.” 

“Probably?” She questioned. 

“Yeah...I haven’t exactly seen it yet. I mean I’ve seen Mike’s but  _ they _ didn’t get me so...” he stopped, slapping a hand over his mouth, his eyes going wide as he realized he’d unintentionally told her what had happened. 

“ _ They _ got you?” She hissed and he leaned forward, shushing her. The two of them glanced back at the others and, seeing they were all focused on Mike, turned back to each other. 

“Yeah it was, ok? But, just...don’t tell El, Will or Dustin, please?” She swallowed, looking from the bruise on his cheek into his eyes. There was something almost...different about them, and although she couldn’t put her finger in it, she could tell it was serious. 

“Ok.” She whispered. His expression relaxed, and he leaned back against the couch. 

“Thank you.” 

“But-“ he sat up again. “You have to tell me what happened later tonight.” 

He contemplated it for a moment. “Fine.” He finally said, “but we wait until everyone is asleep, ok?” She nodded. Mike groaned in pain again, and the two turned their attention back to their friends. 

“Max, can you go get a bottle of water from the kitchen for me?” Will asked, looking up at her from his place on the floor, where he was currently holding something against Mike’s leg to stop the bleeding. 

“Yeah sure. You want me to get you an ice pack too?” She said, turning toward Lucas. 

“Yeah. Thanks.” 

“Mike?” The taller boy gave a weak thumbs up. “I’m-ahh-I’m good.” He said, wincing slightly as Will applied more pressure. 

Max walked into the kitchen, her mind going a million miles an hour trying to figure where the boys had gone this time, and how it had been different than all the other times, but one question was at the top of her mind:

Why had Mike and Lucas been unexpectedly attacked by a pack of demo dogs? 

—————————————

Lucas watched Max go, before turning back to Mike, who was leaning his head back against the couch, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched as Will continued to hold the gauze against his leg.

He wasn’t sure why this time had been different from all the other times, why they’d been attacked. 

They hadn’t done anything different than normal, checking areas and muting their radios, usually the dogs didn’t attack if they didn’t hear them, but today, they’d attacked without a reason, barreling through the forest and catching the two boys off guard. Mike had managed to kill a few with his rifle, but after he’d run out of bullets he’d been forced to use his knife. The demodogs did not make the fight fair, and two had jumped Mike at once, Lucas had barely been able to fend them off with his crossbow. Mike had laid on the ground, screaming and crying in pain as his friend tried to calm him down. They’d camped in an abandoned neighborhood house before making the trek back to the Byers the next day, and Lucas had done all he knew how to treat Mike’s leg, and keep the dogs away, simultaneously. 

He made a mental note to ask Dustin if they’d found anything new about these creatures, to see if there had been any other “attacks” lately. 

Max re-entered the room, handing Will the plastic water bottle and breaking him out of his thoughts. He managed to gain his composure back before she sat back down next to him on the couch. 

“Here.” She said gently, sitting back down beside him as she held an ice pack, or more like a frozen bag of peas, against the side of his face. 

“Thanks.” He said, giving her a small smile as he reached up to hold it against his face, but instead Max grabbed his wrist with her free hand, pulling it away from his face and lacing her fingers through his. 

“Please don’t go back out again.” She managed after a few minutes, looking down as she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. She wouldn’t make eye contact with him. 

“I have to. We’re low on food, and bullets, if I stay here we’ll be out in a week.” She looked up at him for a moment, before dropping her gaze again. She didn’t try to argue, because she knew he was right, and no matter how scared she was, he wasn’t going to quit trying until he got what they needed. 

Lucas turned back to Mike as Will finished cleaning his leg, tossing the water bottle into a nearby trash can. The white bandages on the boy’s leg were already turning a dark, crimson red, even though the wound had been completely cleaned moments before. 

Lucas knew Mike wouldn’t be in good enough condition to go out on the next trip with him, but it was out of the question to stay here and wait. Their food and water supply was almost gone, and they only had enough batteries for the radio to last a few more days. 

He knew they’d made rules against it, but he knew he might have to end up going alone. Dustin and Will were so close to figuring out more about these creatures, and making Max or El come with him instead was out of the picture. The boys had already decided on not putting the girls in danger, no matter how much they insisted. 

He suddenly remembered one of the highlights of the trip, and turned excitedly back toward Max. “Hey I got something for you.” 

She turned her head to look at him, gently pulling the bag away from his face as he leaned down to big up his abandoned backpack off the floor. She noticed it looked exceptionally more worn out since the last time they’d left, the green fabric had faded into a dark grey and was fraying all over. 

She watched as he carefully pulled out a skateboard. _ Her skateboard _ . It was faded and worn out, but it was definitely her skateboard. 

“How?” She gaped, dropping the peas on the couch and reaching out to take it from him. 

“We stopped at each of our houses and got some things we thought everyone would want. I also got your box of pics from California, I’d figured you’d want that.” He gave her a nervous smile, as if she’d lecture him about going in her bedroom without her, but instead she leaned forward and pulled him into a hug. 

He hugged her back, holding her closer and longer than he usually did. He knew that Max wasn’t just thanking him, she’d been worried he wouldn’t come back this time. He almost hadn’t, but she didn’t need to know that part. She let out a breath, leaning into him a little more. He knew this was all the relief from the worry of the past three days, because he was finally home, finally safe. 

“Woah, is that Max’s?” Dustin asked, sitting on the ottoman in front of the two of them, unintentionally breaking the moment. They pulled away, and Max held up her board. 

“Yep it’s mine.” She smiled. 

“Oh yeah, give everyone their stuff.” Mike said, inching his way closer to the two of them. 

Pretty soon Lucas had opened both his and Mike’s backpack, and had given El her old teddy bear and some books from the cabin, Will his drawings, pictures and sketchbooks from Castle Byers(since they were already at his house and the fort had been almost completely destroyed) and Dustin his headset radio and language translating books. 

“What’d you get from your house?” Max asked, bumping Lucas’ shoulder as he handed Mike his D&D game board and files. 

He glanced at her as they walked to the kitchen and she thought she saw some kind of emotion flash across his face. But he quickly turned away, zipping up the now empty backpack. “I’ll tell you later.” 

And maybe she was just imagining it, but it seemed as if something had shifted in him, that something was changing. Days later, Max would realize that it would become worse than she could’ve even possibly imagined.


	2. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas tells Max what happened that night.

Max opened her eyes with difficulty, shielding her eyes from the morning sunlight that was just barely starting to stream in from the front window. She propped herself up on her elbows, her sleeping bag slipping down as she did so, making her pull her blanket further up her shoulders. She ran her fingers through her hair, yawning before attempting to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. 

The memories of the night before played like a movie in her mind, of Lucas and Mike coming back, Mike badly hurt. She remembered making dinner, or more like reheating leftovers, with Will, because El had stayed beside Mike. Lucas had offered to help, but the others insisted he rest, because he needed to relax. Dinner had been quieter than usual, no one brave enough to ask Mike and Lucas about what had really happened. 

She remembered staying up late with Lucas, looking through each and every one of her pictures that he’d brought back for her, telling him all the stories that went with each of them: the fair with her dad that they went to every year, the first day of middle school with Nate, Ben and Eddie, even the story behind the only family picture with Neil and Billy. Even though he’d clearly been tired, he’d still been so interested and involved in the stories, asking questions and remembering little details. They’d forgotten to talk about what had really happened that day, but Lucas looked so drained that she hadn’t really cared, she’d been tired herself, and knew he probably hadn’t slept well in awhile. She’d eventually called it off, even though Lucas objected and claimed he wasn’t tired, but he had fallen asleep almost instantly. 

She looked over toward the couch where Mike was. He was still asleep, spread out on his side with his hurt leg propped up on the opposite armrest, his pants rolled up to reveal the bandages. His arm was hanging over the side of the couch, his hand holding loosely onto El’s, where she was sleeping on the floor. He didn’t look like he was in as much pain as the night before, a blanket pulled up over his shoulder and half of his face, his long legs sticking out from under it. 

Max smiled at her friends, the realization finally dawning on her that the boys were  _ home _ , and safe. She rolled over to her side, looking up toward where Lucas was sleeping on the couch, only to realize for the first time that he wasn’t there. 

She started to panic, the blanket thrown to the end of the couch and the pillow in its original place, looking as if no one had slept on it for awhile. 

She noticed that his backpack was gone from its place beside the couch, which could only mean that he had left...alone. 

Jumping up, throwing her blanket and sleeping bag off as she did so, she hurried to the kitchen, then checked the bathroom and extra bedroom, but he wasn’t in either. 

She hurried to the door, pulling on her shoes. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, because she knew in the back of her mind that she couldn’t go out looking for him, but every part of common sense had empties from her thoughts momentarily. She reached for her jacket hanging on the coat rack, but as she did, her eyes traveled to the window, seeing Lucas sitting outside on the porch, his back to her. 

Her heart rate slowed as she reached for the doorknob, stepping out into the chilly morning air. He looked back at her at the sound of the door opening, giving her a small smile. 

“Good Morning.” 

“Morning.” She said, returning his smile. He turned back around, looking out toward the sunrise. The sun had just come over the horizon, and it was casting a pale orange glow over Lucas’s figure, highlighting the bruises on his face and arms from the day before. She didn’t like looking at them, it reminded her that he constantly put his life on the line to protect them all. 

“What’re you doing out here?” She asked, sitting beside him, letting her legs hang off the edge, swinging slightly beside his. 

“Just...couldn’t sleep.” He replied. “Figured I’d just watch the sun come up.” 

She glanced over at him, but he kept his gaze trained forward. “Nightmares?” She whispered softly. 

Lucas blew out a breath and dropped his head. “Yeah.” 

“About...what happened? With Mike?” He nodded, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. 

“It’s...it’s just like-it’s burned into my brain and...I remember... _ everything _ ...so, so clearly and every time I close my eyes-“ he let out a shaky breath. “ It was different everytime. Sometimes I was the one doing it, the one hurting him...I don’t know how to explain it. Sorry.” 

“It’s ok. I understand.” He looked up at her. 

“You do?” He whispered, his tone laced with hopefulness. 

“Yeah. After Billy died, I just remember seeing him, every time I closed my eyes. It was so scary. I could hear myself screaming and him whispering he was sorry for the longest time. That night at the mall was all I dreamt about, sometimes with worse or different outcomes. I didn’t want to sleep anymore but, I would talk to you and the others and...I don’t know it just got easier, knowing someone was there.” She looked up at him, his eyes meeting hers. 

“I never told you what happened.” He said softly. 

“It’s ok. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to-”

“But you said it got easier when you talked to us so...I do. I want to tell you.” He shifted uncomfortably, wringing his hands in his lap. Max shifted her position so that she was turned toward him. ”Ok.” 

“We went a new way, over by the old railroad tracks.” He started. Max swallowed nervously, knowing where this was going, but she didn’t take her eyes off him, giving him her full attention. 

“We weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary, we were watching our step, keeping quiet and made sure the radios were silent, but then Mike heard something, and we just stopped, but as soon as we did a pack of dogs jumped out of the bushes around us. It caught us so off guard that we were delayed pulling out our weapons, but Mike managed to kill a couple with his rifle, if he shot them in the right spot they went down right away, but some took three or more shots. We ended up getting surrounded, and we were back to back shooting them. I killed about three with the crossbow but I was running out of arrows, Mike eventually ran out of ammo and as soon as he did three jumped him at once. He stabbed one in mid-air with his knife as he lunged for him but it threw him to the ground then two more got him.” He choked.

“I was trying my hardest to get them off of him but trying to keep the other three off of me at the same time. I couldn’t see him through them all, and all I heard was Mike screaming. It was rough and loud and he was yelling for me and begging me to help him...I thought he was going to die, I didn’t know what to do. I felt like a different person, on the outside, just watching it all happen.” A tear ran down his cheek, and Max gently put a hand on his shoulder, a reminder that she was there, that he wasn’t just dealing with it alone. He took a deep breath, composing himself a little more as he continued. 

“After I finally managed to wrestle the three away from me, I got the lighter out of my pocket and lit a branch on fire, it scared them enough that they jumped away from Mike, and I stood in between him and them, waving it between the three of them. They growled for awhile, then started to move in closer, one by one. I thought we were dead, I could hear Mike whispering behind me, but then one of them howled and they all ran off. Mike was yelling in pain, and I was afraid more would come, so I did my best to calm him down, then dragged him to the nearest neighborhood and we camped out in an abandoned house.” A couple more tears ran down his cheeks and he let go of her hand to wipe them off his face. “Sorry.” He laughed bitterly. “No reason to be a baby about it.” 

“Lucas you almost watched your best friend die, you don’t have to be embarrassed for crying.” Max said softly, her expression pained as she imagined the two of them experiencing all of this. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to have to go through that, or have to prepare for it every time you go out, but I’m here for you, ok? Anytime you need to talk about it or anything.”

“Ok.” He whispered, his eyes trained on his hands tangling together. 

“Lucas.” Max whispered firmly, and he looked up at her. “Seriously. I mean it. I’m always here.” 

“Thanks Max.” She tilted her head up slightly, looking into his eyes. There was still something different about them, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She couldn’t think of anything now, in fact, everything around her was disappearing, her brain not even registering that the two of them were slowly moving closer. Lucas was all she could see. She closed her eyes. 

The door quickly swung open, slamming into the side of the house. The two of them jumped apart, whipping around to see Dustin standing in the doorway. 

“Lucas, you’ve gotta see this. There’s a pack of demodogs going rogue, they just attacked again, they’re getting closer.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this chapter isn’t very interesting, it’s kinda a filler chapter to set up everything next. I’m going camping for a few days so if I don’t answer any questions in the comments for the next few days that’s why. Let me know your predictions and what you think!


	3. I love you

The boys had locked themselves in Will’s room, pushing past El and Max and leaving them alone in the hallway. The two girls stayed outside the door, listening to the conversation as much as possible. So far, they’d been able to catch the sound of demodogs growling and roaring on a tape the boys were watching, Dustin and Will occasionally explaining more and more were coming from the Lab. 

“You don’t understand Lucas—these aren’t normal dogs. They’re rogue, they have some weird type of...” Max leaned closer as Dustin’s voice faded out, most likely whispering in case the girls were listening. 

“What does that mean?” Mike asked. “Like does it mean...?” 

“It means that if we’re not careful then yeah...that’s possible.” Max and El exchanged a frustrated look, the boys clearly knew they were listening, and were purposely not letting them hear the most important parts. 

“What do we do?” Lucas asked, his voice hushed. 

It was silent, and El and Max leaned closer to the door. The floorboards creaked slightly, and they held their breath. 

“We know you’re listening. Can you guys just...go somewhere else for a second?” Will spoke up, yelling to them from inside the room. 

“No.” Max called back. “We’re just as involved in this as you guys, you can’t leave us out of this forever!” 

“Max we already decided-“ Lucas started, but the girls had had enough.

“You guys decided, you didn’t even let us have a say in it! You aren’t in charge of us! We can take care of ourselves whether you think so or not.” El interrupted. 

The door opened, surprising the both of them, making them jump back just a little. Dustin stood in the doorway, blocking the view into the room behind him. 

“Guys just...please trust us on this one. We promise we’ll talk to you about it later but just...please let us figure it out.” Max’s hands clenched into fists at her side, and his eyes flicked downward at their movement. 

“Look...” he said quietly, stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind him. “I know this is...frustrating, for you guys, not being able to know what’s going on, but we’re just trying to keep you guys safe-“ 

“By keeping us in the dark?” Max interrupted, throwing her hands into the air. 

“If we don’t know, we’re not safe.” El added. 

“I know I know it’s just...” he ran a hand over his face. “Guys-“ 

“We’re supposed to be a  _ team _ , Dustin. When have we ever been able to beat this thing without all of us? We have to work together.” 

“And we will, but right now, there’s more going on than you know, we just need to find out what to do, please.” The girls glanced at each other, Dustin smiled nervously, hopefully. 

“Fine. Whatever.” Max hissed, not turning back to meet his gaze, crossing her arms across her chest and disappearing down the hall. 

“She’s pissed if you can’t tell.” El shot at him, before following Max. 

———————————————————

Dinner that night was quiet

Max was still clearly annoyed at how the boys were treating her and El, and none of them seemed bold enough to address it. Finally, after what seemed like hours of pushing their potatoes and chicken around on their plates, El spoke up. 

“So one of you gonna tell us what’s wrong or not?” Everyone turned silently to look at her, but she continued to eat her dinner as if she’d asked a normal question. The boys all exchanged a look as if deciding who would speak. 

“Seriously. I’m so sick of this. Someone tell me what’s going on or I swear, I’m leaving.” Max burst, shoving her plate to the middle of the table. The boys weren’t sure if her threat was actually serious, if she would actually go out and try to find shelter, alone, somewhere else, without knowing anything, but none of them wanted to take that chance. She was Mad Max after all. 

“Ok well, what did you hear?” Will asked, setting his fork down. 

“All we heard was there’s some rogue demodogs.” Max started. “And that there’s more coming from the lab.” 

“Ok, we’ll start there. There’s a weird pack of demodogs wandering around. They’re more aggressive than usual and they’re been spotted in areas we’ve never seen them in before.” Dustin explained, gesturing with his hands as he did so. Max and El leaned forward in their chairs, taking in every word of this new information. 

“They’re traveling in bigger packs than normal, seven or eight at the least.” Will added helpfully. 

“Well, how many packs are there?” Max asked. 

“So far, we’ve only been able to track two, the one on the tape, and the one that Mike-“ Lucas cleared his throat, interrupting Will. The girls turned toward him, but he kept his head down, staring a hole into his plate as he shoved his food around. 

“They’re also bigger.” Mike said quickly, almost too quickly, as if to turn the attention away from Lucas. It worked, neither of the girls questioning him. 

“How...much bigger?” Was what El asked hesitantly instead. Mike turned to Dustin for an answer. 

“Based on the footage, they look maybe two times the size of an average, full grown dog, from what I know.” 

“And we don’t know where they’re coming from, besides the lab of course, we don’t know if there’s a gate or anything, but they’re getting closer. Pretty soon, Lucas and Mike won’t be able to go out at all.” Will said, an edge to his voice that showed how serious this could be to them. 

“Well, Mike can’t go anyways...” Max started, catching on. 

“That’s the problem.” Dustin finished. 

They all sat in silence for a minute, digesting this information. 

From what they could tell, they had two options. On one hand, they could just stay where they were and not have to worry about the demodogs, but they would run out of food and supplies. On the other, Lucas, by himself, or with someone else, could go out and get what they needed, but that would mean having to risk getting attacked by this new “breed” of dogs. A bigger, badder, stronger breed. 

Just as it seemed as if the silence would suffocate them all, Lucas stood up, his chair scratching roughly against the wood floor as he did so. Without a word, he dropped his plate in the sink, harder than usual, before swiftly leaving the kitchen. 

“What’s with him?” Mike whispered, almost to himself. The other boys shook their heads wordlessly, mumbling various forms of “no idea”. 

“I’ll talk to him.” Max said, standing up before anyone could object, but no one did, because they knew it had to be her to talk to him. Lucas didn’t get mad very often, but when he did Max was one of the only people that could take it without being hurt afterwards, she never took it to heart. 

She followed where Lucas had gone, finding him in the extra bedroom where they kept all the guns and supplies for when he and Mike left out on their “missions”. He was currently moving quickly around the room, shoving various items into his backpack. 

“What’re you doing?” Max asked, truly curious. 

“Leaving.” Lucas replied evenly, not looking up at her. “I’m getting what we need before we can’t anymore.” 

She almost laughed. “Right now? In the middle of the night? Lucas you’re  _ not _ going out alone.”

“I have to, Max!” Lucas burst, spinning around to face her. “I can’t take Mike, and if I don’t get what we need soon, it’ll be too late.” 

“Then I’ll go with -“ 

“Absolutely not.” He interrupted, shoving a couple plastic water bottles into the bag. 

Her face felt hot. “Why not?” She demanded, her voice rising. 

“Why do you think, Max? Do you really think I’m about to just drag you and El into this?” 

“It’s not your job to protect us!” She exclaimed, moving aside as he stepped past her, grabbing two full boxes of rifle ammo. 

“Yes it is! If I don’t, who will?” He snapped, looking at her with an exasperated look on his face, as if  _ she _ was the one being stupid. 

It made her mad. She  _ wasn’t _ stupid. 

“We know how to take care of ourselves, Lucas! We’re not as useless as you think we are, ok? Me and El have been just as involved in this as you and the boys have!” He checked his crossbow, before slinging it over his shoulder. 

“I’m only gonna say this once so listen carefully.” He said, his voice dangerously even as he leaned close. “I didn’t say you were useless, but if I didn’t do everything I could, and one of you died, I’d never forgive myself. So cut the crap, Max. You have no idea what it’s like.” 

Despite feeling a shiver run through her spine, she managed to keep her composure, not letting her expression slip up. Never, not once, had she heard Lucas talk like that, so dangerously...almost like Billy, and although he wasn’t threatening her like Billy had, there was still something about it that scared her. 

Something about him had definitely changed since he’d gotten home. 

He tossed the backpack and crossbow onto the empty bed, before grabbing the rifle from its hook on the wall. He checked the mag, making sure there was enough ammo in it, then sliding it back into its place. The click snapped Max out of her thoughts.

She had to stop him. 

“Lucas, will you please just listen to me?” She found herself begging. She couldn’t let him put himself in danger. Not again. Not for her. 

“I am listening!” He practically shouted, stepping closer, the cool he had recently composed slipping away almost instantly. It was so unlike him. 

She stepped back, surprised by how close he’d gotten in so little movements, but she didn’t stop glaring at him. “No you’re not! You’re not listening and you’re being stupid-“ 

“Oh, I’m the stupid one?” He growled. 

“Yes! And if you think I’m about to let you just go out there on your own-“ 

“Why are you being like this?” 

“Because I  _ love _ you and you’re all I have left! I can’t let myself lose you like I lost everyone else!” Lucas suddenly froze, his hands involuntary relaxing from their curled fists and his expression changing from anger to complete shock. 

Max took a shaky breath, wiping away the tears that had leaked down her cheeks. She dropped her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

“I’m not letting you go by yourself.” She almost whispered, but her voice remained firm. 

“Max…” Lucas whispered gently, she didn’t look up, rubbing her hand over her face and taking a shaky breath as her eyes blurred over again. The thought of losing Lucas, after everyone else, was something that scared her out of her mind. 

He reached for her arm, but she stepped back, holding her hand up between the two of them.

“I don’t...wanna talk about this right now, ok? Just...come find me when you’re done being an idiot.” She said quietly, but Lucas didn’t sense the bite that had been there when she had been yelling at him before. 

Why had he even been mad at her? What had she done to make him so mad? He couldn’t remember what she’d even said, the last few minutes fading into red. The last few days had been like that lately. 

A blur. 

_ Because I love you and you’re all I have left! I can’t let myself lose you like I lost everyone else!  _

She loved him? Had she even really said that, or had he just imagined it?

He looked down at the rifle, gulping as he held it in his hands. 

A weapon. Loaded. Deadly. 

He’d held it between them, without even thinking about it. He could’ve hurt her. He could’ve  _ killed  _ her. He didn’t want to hurt her. Did he? 

He dropped the gun, yelping as he pulled his hand back. Looking down, he saw the small imprint of the handle’s pattern on his palm, burned into his skin. 

What was happening to him? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I’ve decided I’ll be updating every Tuesday and Friday. I don’t really have anything else to say so hope you enjoy 😁


	4. Memories

**3 Days Later**

“Max. Hey Max. Wake up.” She mumbled an answer, opening her eyes with difficulty, squinting up at the person shaking her awake in the darkness. She could barely make out the outline of him, her vision blurry, but the hand on her shoulder was all too familiar. 

“Time to go.” Lucas whispered. She groaned, pulling the blanket over her head and burying her face back into her pillow. 

Lucas huffed a laugh, gently pulling the blanket off her head and crouching beside the couch so that he was eye-level with her. She looked up at him, his hand trailing down her arm. “You said you wanted to come. If you’ve changed your mind I can go by myself.” He whispered. 

“Can’t we just go later?” She asked. Him going alone wasn’t an option and she knew he knew it, he was just trying to make her get up. “The sun hasn’t even come up yet.” 

“We have to go before it gets too hot, trust me. You’ll thank me later for not making you walk in the heat.” 

“Fine.” She mumbled sleepily, slipping her legs out of her blanket and sitting up on the couch. Lucas smiled, standing up and walking back to the kitchen. The wood floor was cold beneath her bare feet, the world outside still dark. 

Across from her, El laid on the other couch, holding onto Mike's hand as he laid on the floor, just as the two had done that first night the boys came home. She rolled her eyes. At first she had thought it was kinda cute, but now it was just annoying. Waking up to the same lovey-dovey sight every morning was starting to get on her nerves. At least she didn’t have to worry about it for the next few days. 

Her gaze wandered from her friends to the light that was filtering into the living room from the kitchen, where Lucas was already up and ready. Now that he was in the light she could see him clearly, he was dressed in jeans and a grey hoodie, with his old canvas jacket pulled on over the top. Max watched as he finished packing what they would need into the two backpacks, quietly wandering around the kitchen. She could still just barely make out the bruises on his face in the light, but they had faded a lot in the time he’d been home. 

He glanced over at her, catching her staring, and smiled. 

“Get up.” He mouthed playfully, though she knew there was a seriousness behind it. She knew she had to get up. She returned his smile, dragging herself away from the warmth of the blankets and the couch. 

Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt, Mike’s backpack slung over her shoulder as the two of them quietly headed out the door, careful not to wake up Mike and El in the living room. 

After their argument three days ago, Lucas and the boys had all talked together, for an eternally long time, and they’d decided it was best for Max to be the one to go. They’d been hesitant at first, but she’d helpfully added that Will and Dustin could watch the dogs on the city cameras and alert them if they were getting close. When they’d finally agreed, they’d packed everything they would need, and Lucas and Mike picked out the best route to get the supplies, not taking chances on anything new this time. 

“Here.” Lucas said, pulling her back into the present as he handed her the rifle. “You can use this if you need to.” 

“On you or the demodogs?” She teased, taking it from him and pulling the strap across her chest. 

“Preferably not me, but I mean if I’m that bad…” he glanced sideways at her, laughing nervously, as if he wasn’t sure if she was still upset with him. She laughed back, and he looked relieved, relaxing a little more. 

“So tell me what we’re supposed to do here, cause I don’t know the rules like Mike does.” She said after a few minutes. She just wanted to talk to him. 

“Oh, right, sorry. So used to him just knowing what to do.” He said, pulling his backpack straps tighter. “Well first of all, they react very highly to loud noises, so no screaming or really getting over the level of where we’re talking now.” She nodded, showing she understood. 

“Second, we’ve never seen them on this route, but we have to be careful because we never know. If we get into a bad situation, we’ve found out fire gets them away for a while, so use that to your advantage.” He paused, lifting up a section of the barbed wire fence in front of them for her to walk under. 

“Third,” he said, jogging to catch up after he had crawled under. “We’re gonna have to camp out at least for tonight, so we take turns sleeping in shifts. We’ll probably find a house or something so we have more shelter, and I’ll show you what we need to do when we get there.” He glanced over at her. “Any questions?” 

“Yeah how do you shoot a gun?” 

“What?” 

“You heard me. I don’t know how to work this thing, or  _ that _ .” She pointed at the crossbow. 

“Ok first of all.” He pointed at her, scrunching his nose up playfully. “No one but me touches the crossbow.” She reached for it, but he spun away.

“Like I said. No one. But me. Touches it.” He teased. 

Max laughed. “Ok, ok, but seriously, show me how to work this really quick.” For the next twenty minutes, he showed her how to work the rifle, everything from the safety switch to the reloading. She caught on quickly, and Lucas had to admit she learned way faster than Mike had, only asking a few questions and showing everything back to him perfectly the first try. 

The forest was quieter than usual, the occasional bird whistling above the canopy of trees, but other than the sound of their footsteps on the hardened dirt path of the forest floor, there wasn’t much else to hear. Strips of sunlight shown through the gaps of the trees, illuminating the shrubbery around them. Max took it all in, having not seen nature since before she could even remember. She’d been trapped inside for over six months now, the only life she’d seen was her friends, and out the front window, there wasn’t much to see anymore. 

“You never told me.” She said after a few minutes. 

Lucas turned his head toward her. “Huh?” 

“About what was at your house. You got something from everyone else’s but I didn’t see what you got.” 

Lucas’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry, I forgot about it.” 

If there was one thing Max knew, it was how to notice things. It wasn’t hard for her, the skill came as naturally as learning to talk, which she was also very good at.

When her mom had first married Neil, she began to notice small differences in him that weren’t the same as her dad. When he was mad at Billy, for instance, he would tense up, just slightly, setting his jaw and tightening his fist. When her dad was angry, he just looked disappointed, but never like he would beat the living daylights out of you if you dared to cross him. 

When Billy was about to do something stupid, she could see his eyes light up in a dangerous way, in a way that she would  _ only  _ see with him. That’s when she knew she had to keep her friends and herself away from him.  _ Especially _ her friends. Especially  _ Lucas.  _

After joining the Party, she noticed details in each of her friends' body language to be able to identify their emotions. When Will was nervous, he avoided eye contact, and his voice got quieter, sometimes higher. El stopped talking when she was upset, never asking questions or wanting to learn anything new. It happened a lot when she would think about Hopper, and Max had learned sometimes her friend just needed a hug and someone to understand her. When Dustin was excited or anxious, he got almost jumpy, and constantly ran his hand through his curly hair. When Mike was moody, he made snappy comments without any meaning behind them, unlike when he usually argued with her, and they were actual points, his hands usually clenched into fists, even though he would never punch anyone in an argument. Especially any of them. 

So now, as Lucas shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, starting to drag his feet a little as he looked down at the ground, she knew he was upset about something. She also knew that he was lying, because he hadn’t forgotten about it. He’d actually clearly been thinking about it for a long time. 

“I know that’s not true. C'mon you can talk to me.” She said quietly. “What’s wrong?” 

He glanced over at her, swallowing down the lump in his throat. “Nothing.” 

“Lucas-“ 

“There was nothing there.” He clarified, pulling his hands out of his pockets to hold onto the straps of his backpack. 

“Last time we went there, everything was still there, but this time…” he let out a breath, looking up toward the blue patches of sky in between the trees. “Everything was gone, and not like it was destroyed by demodogs or anything, more...stolen.” 

“Stolen? But wouldn’t that would have to mean-“ 

“That there were still other people besides us out there?” He glanced at her. “Yeah.”

“But...that’s impossible,” she started. “Dustin and Will have been trying to contact someone for months. If someone was out there, wouldn’t they answer?” He shrugged. 

“Apparently not.” He looked up ahead, his eyes locking on the path ahead of them. To anyone else his tone may have sounded normal, but Max thought she heard a slight edge in his words. 

She looked up at him, waiting for him to look back, but he didn’t. 

“Are you ok though?” 

“Shut up.” 

“What?” She said, her eyebrows raising in surprise. 

“Max shh.” He whispered, carefully pulling her off the path and crouching down into one of the bushes. 

“What’re you doing?” She asked, looking down at him. He yanked her down by her arm, making her stumble a little before crouching beside him. 

“Lucas what-“ 

“Shhh” he whispered, continuing to keep his eyes on the path and he carefully pulled his crossbow off his shoulder. “I saw them.” He whispered, loading an arrow into the barrel. 

“Them?” 

“The dogs.” He aimed down the path, looking down his scope. 

“They’re about 100 yards down, just off the path.” He whispered. Max scooted closer behind him, holding onto his shoulder to balance herself on the balls of her feet, trying to get a better look down the path. 

“Did they see us?” 

“No, I don’t think so. Just wait here a little longer though, just in case.” He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at her. 

“You ok?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine why?”

He smiled. “Just making sure.” 

They waited a few more minutes, Lucas constantly looking down the path with his scope, Max never taking her hand off his shoulder. She’d told him she was fine, but she still was a little nervous about having to actually see the monsters again. His canvas jacket under her palm told her she wasn’t alone. 

They managed to make it the rest of the day without seeing any dogs, although Max had to admit she stayed closer to Lucas the whole time, because he knew what to do and  _ not _ because she was scared. Every sound they heard in the forest immediately sent them both into action, but it was never anything more than a bird or a chipmunk. 

Now, the sun had gone down, and the darkness was making it almost impossible to see three feet in front of them. Max didn’t say anything, knowing that Lucas knew they’d have to stop soon, and she trusted him. Before she even knew it, they were out of the forest, and walking a familiar route. 

“Where are we going?” Max asked, her voice hoarse from hours of not talking. 

“The only place I could think of.” Was what Lucas responded from in front of her, not looking back. “My house.” She nodded, just thinking about Lucas’s house made her feel safer, it always had. She would always go there whenever things got too bad at home, whenever she just wanted to feel normal. His house was always warm and welcoming, and his family accepted her like she was one of their own. She spent more nights than she could count on their living room couch, always waking up to homemade breakfasts and Lucas and Erica's bickering. It had always been her safe place, even when she wasn’t exactly inside of it. 

“Max?” She jumped a little, turning to look up at Lucas. She hadn’t realized how long they’d been walking, and that they were now standing in the driveway of the very place she’d been reminiscing over. “You ok?” He asked gently. 

She looked at him, before turning back to the house. “Yeah just...remembering.” She said softly. He nodded, as if he understood, as if he had been thinking about the same things she had, though Max could guarantee he had more happy memories in this house than she did. He had  _ lived _ here his whole life after all. 

“Cmon.” He whispered, tugging gently on her arm as they walked up the dark steps. The door was closed, and as Lucas opened it, Max felt as if everything would end, she would see Erica and his parents again, and this would all be a bad dream. Lucas was just bringing her over after picking her up after another nightmare, or a fight with Neil. Erica would tease them for being “gross” even though all they were doing was holding hands, mostly to steady herself. His mom would bring her a blanket without even asking if she was staying over, kissing her goodnight on the forehead, letting her know she was welcome here, even though it was the middle of the night.

Max took a shaky breath, following Lucas into the house and up the stairs to his room. He'd been right, everything was gone, and without the pictures and decorations, it almost seemed different. 

Almost. 

He opened the door to his room, and she was surprised, but also relieved, to see that nothing in his room had changed. His bed still had the same dark blue comforter on it, that contrasted so perfectly with his bright orange walls. His desk was covered in dust from lack of use, as well as his figurines on his dresser. There were several picture frames scattered around the room, she knew what each of them were without even looking, his curtains were still drawn over the windows.

She had so many memories here, and she hadn’t even realized they were special until now. Doing homework into the late hours of the night together as they sat on the floor, Lucas helping Max cram-study for tests because he knew she couldn't do it at home, talking whenever either of them had had a rough day, and they’d just needed to vent, the other always listening intently. They’d even spent an entire day building a LEGO death star because it had been raining, and Max had to admit it was one of the most fun things she’d ever done with him, watching how concentrated he would be, trying to carefully put the pieces together without breaking anything. 

For the first time, Max realized she had actually had a home outside of the actual house she lived in, as well as a family. 

“I thought you said there was nothing left.” She whispered, in awe as she looked around his room. 

“I didn’t want to change anything in here, it still felt...like my home. I didn’t want to ruin it.” He whispered from behind her. She swallowed down the lump in her throat, crossing the room to sit down on his bed. She looked down at her hands, dirty and worn out from the day in the forest, she felt the pressure behind her eyes right before she cried. She didn’t want to cry. 

The bed sunk beside her as Lucas sat down, his shoulder brushing against hers. 

“Are you ok, Max?” His voice was so gentle, so soft, that she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back her feelings about this forever, not with him. 

“No.” She breathed out, her voice wavering slightly as she did so. She  _ wasn’t _ going to cry. 

“I just...I wish things were back to normal, you know. I could almost imagine it was all a bad dream while you were bringing me back here. That your mom would be right there and-“ she choked, squeezing her eyes shut.  _ Don’t. Cry. _

“I just want this to all be over, Lucas.” She risked looking up at him, his eyes meeting hers in such a way that she knew it was ok, she could cry and he wouldn’t make fun of her, he wouldn’t think she was stupid or go around telling their friends about it. The emptiness and anger in his eyes from the past few days was slowly disappearing, becoming softer as she looked into them. She trusted him, but she still didn’t want to cry. 

“It’ll be over soon, all of it, ok? I know it’s hard, this was just as much of your house as it was mine, but we’re gonna get through this together, okay. I  _ promise _ . They have to have gone somewhere. They  _ had _ to. We’ll find them.” She could hear the hope in his voice, realizing it wasn’t just her that wished that this all would end. 

“Do you miss them?” She whispered. 

“Of course.”  _ Of course he does, what kind of question was that Max? _

They sat in silence for a moment, Lucas deciding to break it only when Max yawned. 

“You should get some sleep.” He whispered, standing up. “I’ll take the first watch.” 

“No because you’ll never wake me up if you do.” She said. He smiled, laughing under his breath. She knew him too well. 

“I promise I’ll wake you up.” She looked up at him, and he held out his hand. “Backpack.” She slowly pulled it off, dropping the strap onto his arm. She rubbed her shoulders, sore from carrying the weight all day. 

“Max I know you’re tired, I’ve known you long enough. Lay down.” He said softly, dropping her bag at the foot of the bed and sitting down at his desk. She did as he said, falling back into the pillows and squirming under the covers, pulling them up under her chin. She could feel herself drifting, almost instantly, under the weight of the blanket, the warmth of the bed, and the familiarity of his room, but she didn’t want to fall asleep just yet. 

“Lucas?” She whispered, keeping her eyes closed. He turned around in his desk chair. 

“Yeah, Max?” 

“Stay close.” He smiled, rolling the chair over to the side of the bed. “I’m right here. It’s ok. I’m not going anywhere.” 

She reached out toward him, reaching for his hand. He let her hold onto him, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles as she drifted off to sleep. They weren’t the type of couple like Mike and El, where they constantly needed to be close to the other, but having Lucas here, in the middle of this all, made her feel as if it really would all be ok.

For the first time in days, he felt peaceful, like nothing was wrong, even though it clearly was. He could feel something inside himself had shifted, though he wasn’t sure what. 

A flash of a demodog. He shook his head. 

_ Not now, please not now _ . 

Will. Demodog. Mindflayer. El.  _ Finish them off. _ A low voice echoed in his head, but he closed his eyes. 

_ Ignore it.  _

He kept his eyes shut long enough until this episode stopped, breathing slowly through it all. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked back up at Max, she had sunk into the bed a little more, her hand looser in his than it had been before, her breathing relaxed. He carefully rubbed his hand over her knuckles again, testing her and himself. To see if she’d wake up at the sudden movement and if he could actually still feel her there. 

She didn’t stir, and he knew she was asleep enough now for him to leave the bedside. He slowly pulled his hand away from hers, standing up. His smile had long since faded. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “It’s not my fault.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to get more and more intense from now on! Next chapter Tuesday! Comments and Kudos are appreciated.


	5. Abandoned

_ “Maaaaax.” She spun around the darkness, trying to figure out where Billy’s voice was coming from, but it seemed to be all around her. “Maaaaaax.”  _

_ “What do you want Billy?” She managed, her voice felt hushed, like she couldn’t really speak.  _

_ “What do I want?” Billy’s voice echoed. “Why don’t I show you?”  _

_ “Max!” This second voice wasn’t Billy’s, it was low and smooth and welcoming. She didn’t need anyone to tell her it was Lucas. “Max help!”  _

_ She started to run.  _

_ Everywhere around her was darkness, nothing for what seemed like miles in every direction. Still, she ran in the direction of Lucas’s voice.  _

_ “Max!”  _

_ “Lucas?” She called out, starting to slow down.  _

_ “Max!” His voice was fading. She was too slow.  _

_ “You’ll lose him.” Billy said, stepping out the shadows in front of her. He had a body in his arms, and as he got closer, Max could see it was Lucas, what she only could hope was unconscious. “You’ll lose all of them.”  _

_ She swallowed, taking a step back, trying to put as much distance in between the two of them as possible.  _

_ “Why are you doing this? I already watched you die, wasn’t that punishment enough?”  _

_ “After everything you put me through, forcing me to protect you from my stepdad and being part of your family, you think all you had to do was get rid of me?”  _

_ She was shaking.  _

_ “That wasn’t me. I didn’t force you to become my brother and it wasn’t my fault you died.”  _

_ “Are you sure about that?” He carefully set Lucas down one the ground.  _

_ “Who trapped me in a sauna?”  _

_ “Billy we were trying to help-“  _

_ “Who kept running away? And didn’t try to get through to me?” _

_ “Billy-“  _

_ “Who didn’t try to stop—whatever that monster was—from killing me?” He growled angrily.  _

_ She took another step back. She couldn’t breathe.  _

_ “Maaaaax. Say it.” She gulped. “Say it!” He yelled, lunging at her.  _

_ She screamed.  _

Max sat up, breathing heavily. She looked around the bedroom, light streaming in from the crack in the curtains. The blue comforter was warm against her legs, the mattress extremely soft, almost pulling her back in. And it probably would’ve, except for the fact that it was now morning, and Lucas hadn’t woken her up once. 

She looked around the room, seeing that he was asleep at his desk with his head in his arms, his breathing slow and even. 

Taking a deep breath to slow her breathing, she focused on her heart racing in her chest. 

_ Thump  _

_ Thump  _

_ Thump  _

The sound was much slower than how fast her heart was actually beating, and it took her sleepy brain a moment to realize that it wasn’t her heartbeat she was listening to. 

Something was in the house. 

She immediately jumped into action, throwing the blanket off of her legs and scrambling to the end of the bed. Quietly jumping off, she moved to the desk, shaking Lucas hurriedly. 

“Lucas. Lucas!” She hissed, not wanting to talk any louder than she had to, in case whatever was in the house with them heard them. 

“Hm?” He mumbled, lifting his head from his arms. The stitching of his sweatshirt sleeve was imprinted onto his cheek, and if Max wasn’t currently panicking she might have thought it was adorable. 

“There’s something in the house.” 

Lucas’s eyes immediately became more alert, and he jumped up, slinging his backpack over his shoulders and loading his crossbow. He didn’t hesitate, moving slowly toward the door, aiming in front of him. 

“What’re you doing?” Max whispered anxiously. Lucas turned around, holding a finger to his lips. 

“Trust me.” He mouthed. 

Slowly, he reached out a hand, twisting the doorknob, and quietly pulled the door open just enough to stick his head out into the hallway. He froze, carefully moving back into the room and locking the door. 

“We need to leave.” He whispered, throwing the crossbow over his backpack and moving toward her. 

“What is it?” She asked, pulling on her backpack and picking up her rifle from beside the bed. 

“The new breed.” He breathed out. “We’re gonna have to go out the window.” 

“Are you insane?” She gaped. “We’re on the second floor.” 

“That didn’t stop you from climbing up to it.” He teased, referring to the  _ only time  _ she had snuck over, about a week after Billy had died. The first time Neil had decided to hit her. 

“That was  _ one time _ .” She said, defending herself, crossing her arms over her chest. “You know I was desperate.” 

He tightened his backpack straps. “We’re desperate now.” He pulled the window open, before looking back at her, noticing the nervousness painted on her face, though she was trying not to show it. Suddenly he remembered that Max had never done anything like this before. The only real danger besides fighting monsters was being at home. She’d learned when not to be there, and the only thing she’d been worrying about for the past six months was if him and Mike would come home. She would obviously be scared, he had been the first time, and even if she had insisted on coming with him, she didn’t know how bad it truly was. 

“Hey—hey.” He said gently, reaching out to hold onto her shoulders. “Do you trust me?” 

Her eyebrows knit together. “Of course I trust you.” He almost laughed, her tone suggesting he was an idiot. 

“Good. We’re gonna get out of here before they even notice we were here. Ok?” She nodded, confidence filling her expression once more. “You go out first, I’ll be right behind you.” She blew out a breath, stepping past him and slinging the rifle over her backpack. She carefully hoisted herself up, slipping out the window onto the roof. 

Lucas looked back at his room.  _ His room _ , that he didn’t even know if he would ever see again. If a dog was in the house already it probably meant it would be taken over by a pack soon, everything would be destroyed. All the memories, gone. He’d grown up here, and it would all be destroyed, just like that. He swallowed, looking around the last of his home, maybe forever. 

“Lucas cmon.” Max said from the window, poking her head back inside. 

“Yeah, one second.” He said, already moving to his desk. He opened the top drawer, pulling out a small black book no bigger than his hand. He wiped the dust off the cover, before carefully putting it in his pocket. He wordlessly made his way to the window, climbing out beside Max and closing the window behind him. 

“What were you doing?” She asked as they walked down the forest path, no bite in her words, but clearly curious as to why he hadn’t followed her right away back at the house. 

“I just...wanted to grab something, so that I wouldn’t forget.” He said. 

“Forget what? Your house?” He nodded, his gaze focused on his feet. “Lucas you’d never forget your home.” Max whispered softly, looking up at him from where she was walking next to him. 

“I might, I've been forgetting a lot lately.” She looked at him intently, waiting for him to elaborate, but he simply looked ahead, changing the subject. 

“There’s an abandoned neighborhood up ahead where Mike and I usually find supplies. We’ll stop there.” She nodded, noting the abruptness in his voice that hinted he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. The two didn’t speak, neither daring to be the first to break the silence as they moved deeper into the forest. 

About an hour later, they came to a clearing, a small neighborhood coming into view. The houses were smaller than those on Maple Street, the yards were all still neat and tidy and if it wasn’t for the debris littering the sidewalks and street, Max would’ve thought it was still a working neighborhood. 

“I’ve never seen this place before.” She said as they looked down the hill onto the houses. 

“We’re pretty far from Hawkins, and it’s pretty hidden. I don’t think many people knew about it.” He turned his head toward her.

“Ready?” 

“Ready.” 

—————————————————————

“Ok, this is the last house and it’s almost,” Lucas looked at the watch on his right wrist, squinting to read it as the sunlight glinted off it. “5:30. So we’ll find somewhere to camp out for the night after we search it.” They’d already searched most of the neighborhood, almost three streets already. A lot of the houses were empty from previous missions, but they’d still be able to find a decent amount of food and other needed supplies like batteries and matches. 

Max nodded, adjusting the backpack higher up her shoulder, which was now slightly heavier from collecting cans of food and ammo from the various houses. 

“Let’s get it over with then.” She said, gesturing toward the door. “Ladies first.” He stuck his tongue out at her, but carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside, holding it open for her. The house smelled awful, almost stale and moldy, it had clearly been abandoned for a while, the wallpaper was peeling and some of the floorboards were broken. 

“We could make it faster.” Lucas suggested, pulling his bandana up around his face. “I search upstairs, you search downstairs?”

“Yeah, meet down here in like ten minutes. The less time we spend in here the better.” Max agreed, following his lead as she tied one of his old bandanas around her neck. Lucas nodded, before ascending the steep, narrow steps and disappearing from her field of view. 

She moved to the kitchen first, opening all the cupboards and separating all the cans into what was expired and what wasn’t. She checked the fridge, even though she didn’t expect anything good to be inside, but was pleasantly surprised to find a six-pack of unopened Coke. 

“Score.” She muttered under her breath, pulling it out and setting it on the counter next to the cans. 

_ Good luck beating that, Lucas.  _

Upstairs, Lucas found himself in a low-ceilinged bedroom. It looked like it had belonged to a kid, stuffed animals littering the floor and hand-drawn crayon pictures poorly hung on the wall with tacks. There was a hidden stash of candy in the bottom drawer of the dresser, and as Lucas loaded it into his backpack he doubted Max had been able to find anything better. They’d been having a competition, to make searching more interesting. So far, he’d found a box of collectible baseball cards and a stash of comic books. Max had found a coin collection, with a coin from almost every country and a stash of VHS horror movies. They were tied so far. 

He adjusted his bandana, tightening it around his nose and mouth, the air up here was worse than downstairs, worse  _ smelling  _ too. Max was right. The less time spent here the better. 

Something outside the room moved, making every hair on the back of his neck stand up straight, sending a shiver down his spine. “Max?” He said quietly, standing up. 

No answer. 

He slowly pulled his crossbow around to the front of his body, holding it in front of him as he stepped out into the hallway. It looked as empty as it had been when he first walked up the stairs, though one of the doors was now cracked open, one he knew for positive he hadn’t checked yet. He forced his legs to move, bringing the crossbow up higher. 

He placed a hand on the wooden door, gently pushing it open. “Max?” The room looked empty, and his eyebrows pressed together in confusion. “Max c’mon this isn’t funny.” He called, lowering the weapon. 

He carefully moved around the room, checking the closet just to make sure she wasn’t there just to jump out at him, before he moved back to the door, stepping out into the hallway and closing it with one hand, while holding the bow loosely in his other. The house was old, the door could’ve just opened on its own, but if she was pranking him, he was going to kill her. 

_ Wait no. No killing.  _

_ It was a joke.  _

_ Not a funny one.  _

Suddenly, something rammed into him from behind, disrupting the argument in his head, sending him sprawling, his crossbow crashing down the stairs. He flipped around to his back just in time to see a demodog jump out from the shadows of a nearby empty bedroom, rolling out of place as it’s claws sunk into the floor right where his shoulder had been, the monster letting out an inhumane shriek as it’s claws dug into the floorboard. He scooted backwards, pushing himself away as the creature pulled its claws from the wooden floor, then ran for him again. 

He reached for a lamp that was sitting on a stand in the corner, his fingers barely closing around it in time for him to swing it, connecting with the savage animal's head, stunning it and sending it stumbling backwards into the sunlight just long enough for Lucas to get a good look at it. 

This dog was smaller than the others, but it was definitely bigger than a normal one, still a rogue. It looked very beat up, bloodied scratches and chunks of flesh missing from certain parts of its tan body. It was a runt, and had probably been attacked by the others in the pack and left here alone to die. It roared, showing off rows of sharp, deadly teeth, before charging at him again. 

_ These things never give up.  _

He swung the lamp again, but from where he was sitting on the floor he didn’t have a very good angle, and the creature simply dodged it, slamming into his chest and throwing him to the ground, the lamp shattering around him as it hit the wall. He slid on his back a few feet trying to shove it off, but the monster pinned his arms, roaring into his face. 

“Max!” He screamed, struggling under the weight of the monstrous claws on his chest. He could feel the air leaving his body, his vision slowly going black. 

“Max!” He tried again, in one last desperate attempt, his voice raspy as the creature pushed him harder into the floor. 

He was going to die. 

There was an ear-splitting bang, and suddenly the monster slumped, falling off of him. He gasped for air, looking up. Max was standing at the top of the stairs, she dropped her backpack and his crossbow on the top step, lowering her rifle as she moved towards him. She helped him up, carefully avoiding the shards of glass as she pulled him away from the creature on the floor. His ears were still ringing, and it took him a moment to realize she was talking to him. 

“Lucas!” 

“Huh?” He felt like there was water in his ears, and he noticed Max was still holding his arm where she’d grabbed him. 

“I said, is it dead?” He looked back toward the lifeless body on the ground. 

“Gun.” He whispered, keeping his eyes forward. She handed it over to him, her hand slowly falling from his arm as he took a careful step forward, prodding the dog with the barrel. It didn’t move, and his shoulders relaxed. 

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s dead.” He breathed out, handing the gun back and turning toward her. “Nice shot, but I think I won.” He said, gesturing toward the dead carcass on the ground. She gave him a small smile, but didn’t try to deny it or argue it back. She didn’t have the energy to. 

“Are you ok?” He finally asked. 

“I’m fine. You owe me though.” She teased, though he heard her voice waiver, just slightly, in a way no one else would’ve noticed. He gave her a small smile, moving closer and pulling her into his arms. She was shaking uncontrollably, the one arm not holding the gun wrapping around him, clinging to the back of his sweatshirt. She leaned down slightly, dropping the weapon on the ground next to him so that she could pull him closer with both arms, burying her face in his shoulder, the darkness of his sweatshirt surrounding her. She concentrated on the warmth emitting from him, focusing on the fact that he was ok, instead of that he had been attacked. 

“It’s ok Max.” He whispered, and she nodded, stepping closer. She didn’t cry, but he wasn’t surprised. 

She was brave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was kinda inspired by that one scene in Harry Potter where Hermione and Harry get attacked at Bathilda Bagshot‘s house when she transforms into a snake.   
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated. Chapter 6 will be up Friday!


	6. The Man

“Hey, do you want to take these matches too?” Max asked, walking down the aisle toward Lucas. He looked up from the cans he was inspecting, setting them back on the shelf. 

“Might as well.” He said with a shrug. “The more the better.” She nodded, putting the small box into her half-opened backpack, trying to find a spot where it wouldn’t get smashed by all the other stuff they’d decided to take from the store. 

“Are you ok?” He asked her. She was getting really tired of that same question over and over. 

“I’m fine Lucas. I know how to handle myself.” She said, reaching over to grab a box of bandages from the shelf beside her. They didn’t need any more medical supplies, it was already all loaded into Lucas’s bag, but she grabbed it to look like she was busy, so they didn’t have to have this conversation. 

“You’ve just been really quiet...since last night.” She thought back to the attack. She’d heard bodies being thrown around, and a roar, followed by Lucas screaming for her. His crossbow was laying on the floor below the stairs, and she grabbed it without really thinking. She honestly hadn’t expected to see him wrestling a demodog. 

“Yeah I was in shock. I’m fine now.” Lucas nodded, giving her that smile that he somehow always managed to do when he was proud of her. It made her stomach erupt with butterflies. 

“What else do we still need?” She asked, turning to put the box back on the shelf, her hair masking her rapidly heating face as she tried not to blush under Lucas’s gaze. She hated that it was so easy for him. 

He counted out the list on his fingers. “Bullets, ice, and…” his voice faded out as he looked around the corner, and Max watched as he stepped around it, looking at something intently. 

“What?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. “Are there more dogs?” He didn’t answer, walking away in the direction of whatever he’d been staring at. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion, and she picked up her gun, just in case, before following him. 

She shouldn’t have been surprised to find a massive fireworks stand, with Lucas in the center, holding one of the biggest boxes, his eyes shining as he held it, but somehow she wasn’t expecting it. It wasn’t even close to the fourth...or any holiday really. He was smiling mischievously, his face lighting up like a little kid on Christmas. He looked up as she got closer, smiling and holding up the box. She lowered her gun. 

“Fireworks? Seriously Lucas? We can’t even set them off for fun, the dogs will come straight for us.” 

“I know but, what if we could use them for something else?” He asked. 

“Like what, you pyro?” She laughed. 

“I don’t know...maybe like a distraction?” 

“From what? Mike and El’s constant flirting?” 

He thought about it seriously for a minute, before shrugging, his shoulders dropping in disappointment. “I don’t know but they’re really cool, Max please?” 

“I’m not your mother.” She laughed. “If you can find a way to carry them then I don’t care as long as you don’t complain.” He smiled, grabbing one of the nearby store baskets and loading it with anything and everything. The small fireworks disappeared quickly, before he grabbed another basket and began to load a few of the big ones.

“Lucas how in the heck are you gonna carry two baskets, a backpack and a crossbow?” She couldn’t help but ask. He looked down at the baskets he was holding, blushing a little. 

“Yeah that’s a little excessive isn’t it.” 

She nodded in amusement. “Yes. Yes it is .” He nodded, setting the box of small fireworks on the ground. 

“I’ll only get the important ones then.” He said, leaving the small fireworks behind as he began to look at all the bigger ones. Max almost laughed at how invested he was, considering there was no way they were setting these off at the Byers house, but she didn’t say anything, because they hadn’t had fun in awhile, and this was making him happier than she’d seen him in a long time. Besides, Mike would’ve told him no, and she had to be cooler than Mike. 

“Max!” Lucas said excitedly, waving her over with his hand. She walked over to him, standing beside him as he pointed to a large blue and gold box sitting on the shelf. It was weirdly shaped, mostly a square but with a dip in the middle at the top, a cone sticking out of it. 

“I’ve never seen this one before, and it’s the only one in the store.” 

“What’s so special about it?” She asked curiously. 

“I don’t know.” He said, reaching out to grab it. It tilted forward, and there was a large cracking sound, but the box didn’t move into Lucas’ grasp. They both jumped back as the shelf slid toward them, before turning and disappearing into the wall, revealing a door shaped tunnel behind it, too deep for them to see the end, but big enough to walk through. 

A gust of wind seemed to emerge from the darkness, blowing their clothes and hair back a little. 

“Whoa.” Max whispered under her breath. Lucas nodded. 

“Yeah. Whoa.” He started to move forward, but Max stuck her arm in front of him, stopping him. 

“You’re not gonna walk into a weird creepy tunnel that we found in the wall.” She laughed nervously. Lucas stepped back, but his gaze was locked firmly on the passageway. 

“What if this is the way out?” He said suddenly. 

“What?” 

“Think about it Max. Will and Dustin said they don’t know where these dogs are coming from...what if this is it?” 

“It’s not.” She replied automatically. 

“How do you know?” 

“I don’t but, think about  _ this _ Lucas. If this is where they come from, why would you want to be trapped in there with them? I don’t think it’s a good idea right now.” 

“Well, what if we report this to Dustin, have them keep an eye on it?” He asked. Max nodded, pulling her backpack off her shoulder. She kneeled down on the ground beside him, digging through the backpack until she found the walkie. Dustin and Will had rigged it so that it connected to the ham radio at home, the signal much stronger, even here outside of Hawkins. She stood up, handing it to him. 

“Dustin, it’s Lucas, do you copy? Over.” 

“I copy. Something wrong? Over.” Dustin’s response came almost immediately, meaning that he and Will were still tracking them. 

“Nothing wrong, just...weird. Max and I found a secret tunnel in a store, we thought you could keep an eye on it to see if any activity is happening here. Over.” He left out the part of it possibly being a way out, but Max knew he hadn’t said it in case it got their hopes up. 

They could hear Dustin typing on the computer keyboard as he spoke. 

“Which store? Over.” 

“Bradley’s. Not the one we stopped at on the fourth but the one just outside of town. Next to that one neighborhood. Over.” There was more typing, and Lucas and Max exchanged looks. 

“Ok, we’ve got it pinned for the cameras to keep an eye on. You guys coming back soon? Over.” 

“One more stop, then we’re coming back. We should be back late tomorrow or the day after. Over.” 

“This is a long trip Lucas…Over.” It was Will this time, Max could sense the worry in his voice at the fact that this was taking twice as long as usual. Mike and Lucas were hardly ever gone more than two days at a time. 

“I know. I was just getting a few more things. Max is doing good, so I figured we’d just hit a couple more places before we came back. Over.” He gave her a smile, holding up the half-full basket of fireworks. She rolled her eyes. 

“Ok be careful. Over and out.” Will‘s voice cut out, leaving them alone with static once more. 

—————————————————————

Max was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t realize Lucas had stopped until she ran into him. They had remained at their steady walking pace, the path thinner than it had been previously, forcing her to walk behind him. Their bags were much heavier now, Lucas now carrying a small basket full of fireworks. 

No Rubbing her nose from where it had hit something in his bag, she was about to tell him off for not warning her, but when she looked up at him she saw that he wasn’t looking at her, but looking at something else, or  _ someone _ else for that matter. 

Her pain instantly vanished. 

She followed his gaze to the old man standing just a few yards away from them, and she moved closer to Lucas, instinctively grabbing the fabric of his hoodie to pull him closer. She didn’t know who this was, and as far as she could tell neither did Lucas, until now they hadn’t known anyone else was alive. He stepped in front of her protectively, gently pushing her behind him. She gripped the rifle handle tightly, peaking around Lucas’s shoulder to get a better look at the man. 

He was wearing khakis and a bloodied white t-shirt. His snow white beard reached his mid chest and his eyes were red and swollen as if he had been crying. His skin was full of transparent wrinkles, and Max wondered if he could even see at all. Her eyes slowly wandered to the forest floor beside him, where the bloodied body of what had to be the man’s wife lay. 

She inhaled sharply, pulling Lucas even closer. She felt suddenly sick, and buried her eyes into the back of his shoulder. She’d seen bodies before, in movies and that night at the mall that Billy had died, but never like this. This was  _ real.  _

She felt Lucas shift, and looked up at him as he slowly rose a finger to his lips, gesturing for the old man to be quiet. She looked between the two of them for a moment, jumping when Lucas decided to break the silence. 

“Please.” He whispered, practically begging, and Max felt him tense up, ready to react for any scenario. 

The man squeezed his eyes shut, swallowing hard, then slowly opened them again. His electric green eyes met her ocean blue and for one, eternally long moment, the breath left her body and she felt the world go cold. The wind seemed to speed up, and she could only hope they’d be able to survive whatever happened this time. 

“Please.” Lucas whispered again. She didn’t dare speak, didn’t dare tell him she was scared and wanted to go back home. She felt as if any words said to him would set off something in this strange man, and everything would go wrong. She swallowed down the fear, remembering how proud Lucas already was that she’d gotten this far. She wasn’t going to let him down. She  _ couldn’t  _ let him down. She stood up a little straighter, staring back at the man with the same intensity. 

The world had gone deadly silent, and for several minutes, no one moved. She could feel how warm Lucas was through his jacket, and she concentrated on him, willing herself to stay calm. The man made no movements, simply staring at the two teenagers uncomfortably. Max continued to hold Lucas close, more to know he was ok than anything else, the pulse in his arm beating quickly under her fingers. 

After what seemed like forever, Lucas’s arm dropped back to his side, and Max could feel him starting to relax slightly. She breathed out a silent sigh of relief, releasing the fabric of Lucas’s jacket from between her fingers, leaving a crease against his side. 

Lucas gently pushed her forward, signaling her to go before he did, continuing to keep himself in between her and the man. They started to walk again, occasionally glancing back at the man every few seconds. 

“What happened to him?” Max whispered as soon as they were out of earshot, but it was all too soon, a blood curdling scream tore through the silence, and before she’d had anytime to register it was coming from the man, Lucas was running, pulling her behind him. 

They had only run about 100 yards, before he pushed her behind a tree, carefully pulling her down to the ground and crouching over her. A blood chilling roar tore through the silence, and she heard the monsters crashing through the forest. 

_ The Rogue _ . She thought to herself. The man screamed, and she flinched, Lucas’s hand tightening around her shoulder. 

Her back was against the tree, Lucas watching over her shoulder as a blood chilling roar ripped through the silence. He quietly set the basket of fireworks to the side, pulling his crossbow over his shoulder to the front of his body, ready if anything decided to attack. 

Max heard the old man scream again, this time harsher and cut off by the sound of another roar. She quickly covered her ears on instinct from all those times Neil would hit Billy, trying to block out the sounds of the monster tearing the old man apart, but no matter how hard she squeezed her eyes shut or how hard she pressed her palms against her ears, she could still hear it. The screams reminded her of Billy that night, the only time he actually had shown pain and weakness. 

_ I’m sorry.  _

Lucas moved closer, and she wanted to reach out and hold onto him, but she couldn’t take her hands off her ears, the sounds worse than anything she’d ever heard before, but still bringing back her worse memories with every shout or roar. 

_ Her parents divorce.  _

_ Nate’s broken arm.  _

_ Her mom marrying Neil.  _

_ Moving from California.  _

_ Billy dying.  _

_ Neil hitting her.  _

_ Steve and the others disappearing, leaving them alone.  _

_ Wondering if Lucas and Mike were even still alive.  _

After several long moments, the screaming of the man stopped, and she knew he was dead. The monster let out another roar, before it crashed away through the forest. She didn’t dare breathe until Lucas had whispered to her, and until then she hadn’t realized the tears streaming down her face, everything she’d been holding in for the last three days and longer finally bursting from beneath the surface. 

“Hey it’s ok. It’s gone. It’s ok.” She opened her eyes, looking up at him through tears as he gently pulled her hands away from her ears.

“I’m right here, it’s ok.” He whispered. A small whimper escaped her lips as she reached out for him, pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt, hugging him tightly. She clutched the back of his canvas jacket, holding fistfuls of fabric as she cried against his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry Max.” He whispered. 

“I let you down.” She whispered softly. “I’m sorry.” 

“You didn’t let me down-” 

“I’m not brave, Lucas. I'm scared. I want to go back home, please I don’t want to do this anymore.” She was shaking again. 

“We’ll go home. Right now. We don’t need to keep going. We have enough.” She sniffled, pulling him just a little bit closer, he adjusted his grip, dropping his crossbow on the ground next to her so that he could pull her closer, cradling her head against his chest protectively. 

Her breathing slowed as he held her, and instincts from hugging him for the past two years took over as she leaned against his chest, slowly working to match her breathing with his as she ran her fingers through the fabric on the back of his jacket. 

He knew he shouldn’t blame himself, but somehow, deep down, he knew this was his fault. 

Demodog. Billy. Mindflayer.  _ Max.  _

_ Kill the girl.  _ He squeezed his eyes shut. If he didn’t leave  _ now _ , Max was going to get hurt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote this I had no intention of the fireworks thing being so close to the Fourth of July but oh well.   
> This chapter was based of the Quiet Place, and it’s really what gave me the whole idea for this story honestly.   
>  I don’t really know if anyone’s reading this but to those of you that are I hope it’s not disappointing 😅


	7. Family

Max pushed open the wooden door, stepping into just as much darkness inside her house as outside. They would’ve kept walking to the Byers, but it was now so dark outside they couldn’t even see three feet in front of them, even  _ with  _ Lucas’s flashlight. Besides, they were already tired and jumpy, and there was no use risking another attack in the dark woods. 

“Do the lights work?” Lucas asked from somewhere beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers as he closed the door behind them. Max reached blindly for the light switch, knowing from so many times of turning it on where it was located on the wall. She flicked it down, without any hope of it working, but the room was suddenly bathed in light, the two teenagers shielding their eyes. 

Not surprisingly, the family room they were standing in looked the same that day she had left it. The wooden walls of the living room and kitchen still had the shelves of useless items her mom and Neil seemed to collect, including teapots, silver spoons and other weird things adults got when they traveled. She knew Lucas wouldn’t notice it, but there was a smear of blood on the wall right next to the hallway. She was pretty sure it was Billy’s. The couches and tables were gone, but the same family picture she had in the box of photos Lucas had given her hung on the wall right next to the entryway, blown up into a bigger picture. 

She still remembered the day it was taken: when Susan and Neil had gotten married. It was the only time, besides Billy’s funeral, that Max could remember being forced into a dress. It had been humiliating, having to face her friends. Ben and Eddie had laughed and teased her about it, and she’d laughed along, but Nate didn’t say anything about it, simply smiling at her and telling her it looked fine.  _ That  _ was why he had been her best friend. 

Her smile in the picture was clearly fake, so was Billy’s, she wondered if her mom and Neil had even noticed. She didn’t like looking at it, knowing that the night before she and Billy had gotten into an argument, screaming at each other that they’d never really be siblings, and this was just temporary like every other relationship their parents had before. She wished she could take it back, because even after everything, she now believed Billy had been her brother, even if he was a terrible person. Neil would never be her father, but there was still something there with Billy. Some kind of understanding. 

She forced her legs to move, walking over to the picture. Lucas followed slowly, hanging back just a little more as she carefully pulled the picture off the wall. She gently traced her thumb over her mom, before laying the photo face down on the small table below it. She didn’t want to see it anymore anyways. 

“It looks the same as when I left.” She said quietly, turning around to face the empty room. 

“But...everything’s gone.” Lucas said, his eyebrows pressing together in confusion. 

“Yeah...I know.” She adjusted her backpack further up her shoulders, gesturing toward the hall. “We can go to my room. I don’t really wanna be anywhere else.” 

Lucas looked at her quizzically, as if waiting for her to explain her strange comment, but she simply led the way down the hall to her bedroom, not waiting to see if he was behind her or not. She opened the door without really thinking, the instincts of walking into her room to get away from the rest of the house taking over, but Lucas gently put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back slightly. 

“They still could’ve found a way in.” He whispered. She looked up at him, then nodded, moving to the side so that he could step into the room, crossbow at the ready, she didn’t have the energy to argue with him. She just wanted to go to bed, so that when she woke up they could go home. 

It was clear nothing had been in here since she’d left, except maybe for Lucas and Mike when they’d come to get her stuff, but other than that nothing had changed. Lucas didn’t take any chances, though, checking the closet and even under the bed before announcing that it was clear. 

The two of them pushed the bed until it was up against the wall, somehow making them feel a little safer now that it wasn’t in the center of the room. Max collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling as Lucas locked the door. 

“I’ll take the first watch.” He said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling out the small, black book he’d gotten from his room. “I’m not tired.” 

She didn’t argue, considering she hadn’t slept at all that night Lucas had been attacked, so it was practically his turn anyways. She rolled to her side, her back to him as she faced the wall. She didn’t pull the blankets over her, but instead allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts about what had happened the last few days. 

She wasn’t sure how many times Lucas and Mike usually saw the dogs, but she could count four from the time they’d left. That didn’t seem normal. It was like they knew where the two of them would be next, and were always one step ahead of them. Lucas getting attacked had scared her the most, though she’d pretended it hadn’t been a big deal. She could still hear him screaming for her, the sounds of bodies being thrown to the ground and roaring echoing around his voice. She’d never shot a gun in her life, but in that moment she’d never been more confident and comfortable in her aim, and hadn’t really registered her fear until after he was ok. 

She hadn’t meant to cry when that strange man had been attacked, but it was as if every emotion from every bad thing that had ever happened to her in her life had come out of her. She was usually so strong, but listening to the man scream, knowing he was being ripped apart, had broken something inside of her. She was still embarrassed, even though it had been hours ago and Lucas hadn’t said anything about it. 

“Doesn’t it scare you?” She asked suddenly, no plan behind her words to say them, surprising herself. 

Lucas closed the book, keeping his finger on the page he was on as he looked over his shoulder at her, her back still to him. “Does what scare me?” She contemplated just not answering, she hadn’t even meant to say it in the first place, but even with her back to him she could feel him watching her, waiting for an answer. 

She rolled to her other side, finally facing him, but didn’t look up at him. Instead she played with a loose string on her blanket, rolling it between her index finger and her thumb. “Knowing something like that could happen at any time. I mean...I don’t know how often you guys see those things, but knowing you’re in danger, doesn’t that freak you out?” Lucas sighed, setting the book down beside him as he turned around fully, sitting cross legged in front of her. 

“To be honest with you, I really don’t even think about it that much. I mean, yeah, sure it’s scary when we’re planning for it, but we really don’t see them a lot. I think I’ve seen them more on this trip than I have on the last three with Mike.” 

So she was right. This  _ wasn’t  _ normal. 

“Are they following us?” She wondered out loud. 

“I don’t know...maybe.” 

“What if we’re leading them back to the others.” She whispered. When Lucas didn’t answer, she looked up at him, anxiety filling her expression at the thought of putting their friends in danger.

“We won’t. It’s almost like there’s a line at the edge of the forest before the Byers. They hardly ever cross it, and if they decide to, Will and Dustin have installed security.” Even though he sounded a little unsure, she nodded, feeling a little better at his words. 

Silence surrounded them again, and now they were both fiddling with loose strings on the blanket. Together they really weren’t good at talking about their feelings, but they somehow always managed to, even if it felt a little awkward sometimes, because they had a trust in each other they didn’t quite have with anyone else. 

“Can I see it?” Max asked, her words cutting through the silence like a knife through butter. 

“What?” 

“The book?” She gestured to the small object. “You never told me what it was.” 

“O-oh, yeah, sure.” He turned back around as Max sat up, scooting over and sitting down on the edge of the bed with him. “It’s just a bunch of pictures, it’s not really a book.” 

He picked it up and opened it, turning to the same page he was on before, revealing two different pictures of his family on the separate pages. Max guessed they were probably about four or five years apart, considering Lucas was a foot taller in the second one. In the first picture they were in what looked like a tropical place, though it didn’t look like California. 

“Hawaii.” He said, as if reading her mind. “I don’t remember much of it, I was only like six or seven, I think.” 

“You never told me you went to Hawaii.” She smiled, leaning further over his shoulder. 

“It never came up.” He laughed. She looked at the mini Lucas, smiling at how little he was in the picture. He was smiling wide, wearing a pair of blue swim trunks, an embroidered orange shark on one of the legs, with another shark on the chest of his shirt to match. His hair was soaked, water dripping down his face, as if he’d been forced out of the pool just to take a picture. He looked so happy, and innocent. Max wondered if he would still be like that if it hadn’t been for the upside down taking Will that one night. 

“What’s the second one?” She asked, drawing her attention away from her thoughts. He was wearing nicer clothes this time, dark jeans and a light blue button-up shirt with a black tie. He reached about his dad's shoulder, though she knew he was just as tall or taller now, and looked to be about ten or eleven years old. 

“I’m pretty sure that was just family pictures. We didn’t really have any in our house at the time, we had them taken, but my mom wanted a recent one.” 

She almost laughed, because she’d seen a ton of family pictures at his house before, but she’d never really paid much attention to them, she just knew that she knew they were there. She couldn’t imagine a Sinclair house without the pictures. 

Her mind started to wander again, always eventually landing on her own family. They didn’t have hardly any pictures at home, because not  _ only _ had she and Billy refused them, but Neil too. She had a few taken with her dad, but her mom had thrown them out after the divorce.

She didn’t even know if her dad was still alive, didn’t even know if this was going on anywhere else outside of Hawkins. She wondered if her mom was even worried about her at all. 

“Can I tell you something?” She swallowed. 

“Of course.” He said quietly, his gaze remaining on the pictures in front of him. 

“My family’s gone.” She whispered, sudden emotions dangerously close to slipping out as she looked down at her hands. Lucas glanced at her, setting down his book and waiting for her to continue, because of course they were gone,  _ everyone _ was gone. “I haven’t seen my mom in almost a year.”

His throat suddenly felt dry, cutting off his breathing.  _ A year?  _

“What do you mean?” He asked. She hesitated, mostly to control her breathing, trying to slow down her rapidly beating heart. She refused to repeat what had happened only a few hours ago. No more crying. 

“Do you remember that day...that we all decided to have that sleepover at Will’s...the night before all this happened?” He nodded, watching her intently. “I-I’d been alone for almost a month by then.” She choked. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, he’d never heard  _ anything _ about this before. She’d been holding it back for nearly a  _ year  _ and she’d never once told him. 

“Alone?” He whispered. 

“One day I just came home and...they’d left. My mom and Neil. I don’t know why but my mom left a note saying she needed to protect me or some bull-“ 

“You were going home —everyday—and you were alone?” She nodded. “Max why didn’t you say anything? I could’ve helped you, or you could’ve at least slept at my house, where I knew you were safe.” 

“You weren’t worrying then.” She teased, but Lucas gave her one look and she knew that was the wrong thing to say. 

“I didn’t want anything to change, someone could’ve just taken me away if they knew. It was just easier to pretend everything was normal around you guys.” She shrugged. . 

She looked up at him, and he looked about as broken as she felt inside. It was her fault. She was making him worry about her, which was  _ precisely _ what she hadn’t wanted to do. She should just stop talking, she really wasn’t as important as Lucas made it seem. Her mom had a reason for leaving her, she was surprised he hadn’t too. 

“Weren’t you scared?” He asked, almost echoing the question she’d asked him before. 

“No.” She half lied. “Nothing really changed. It’s not like they were around much anyways. I was used to being home alone. But when that alarm was sent out...I was glad I was at least with you guys. I couldn’t imagine having to live through all this alone.” She had cried herself to sleep at least once a week, under the safety of her blankets, wishing she could tell someone, or at least have someone there with her. She always regretted not hugging her mom before she’d left that day, but she knew that wouldn’t have changed the outcome. Sometimes she’d call Lucas later and longer than usual, just to have someone to talk to. He’d never questioned anything, but sometimes she’d wished he would’ve. Maybe she would’ve told him everything. 

Lucas watched her for a moment, taking in all this new information as she locked eyes with him. He could see the sadness and emotion shining clearly in them, but he knew she was trying not to show her pain, because she’d already cried and she was embarrassed about it. 

She’d always been like that, strong. Sometimes too strong, always determined that she could do it on her own. She gave him a small smile, but he knew it was forced and suddenly he couldn’t hold himself back anymore. 

“Come here, Max,” He whispered, leaning towards her, pulling her into one of the closest hugs he’d ever given her. She sunk into him, almost immediately, letting out a shaky breath as her arms locked behind him, holding onto him like she’d been wanting to tell him this for the longest time, like she just wanted him to hold her and tell her it would all be ok, even if she knew that wasn’t true, because Lucas managed to make her feel safe without even having to try. 

She felt tears building in her eyes, but she didn’t want to let them fall, she didn’t want him to know how much it hurt, having her own mother leave her, because she’d told him it hadn’t. And it  _ didn’t. It didn’t hurt.  _

She’d always expected her mom to come home, until that one day when she hadn’t, and now, she didn’t want to let him go and have him disappear just like the rest of her family had. She felt her stomach twist into knots at the thought of someone else abandoning her,  _ especially _ him, and she burrowed herself deeper into his shoulder, pulling him impossibly closer as her breathing started to become quicker, her usual toughness quickly dissipating. 

She’d felt so distant from him lately, even though he was always right next to her. She wanted things to go back to normal, but she wasn’t sure how to do that. 

“Lucas, Max, come in. Do you copy?” Dustin’s voice suddenly crackled from the radio buried in Max’s backpack. Lucas looked up, but Max continued holding onto him like he was all that mattered, like everything else in the world was normal, they had each other and that was enough, but Dustin said the phrase again and the two slowly pulled apart. Lucas watched as Max reached for her bag at the end of the bed, opening it and practically dumping it out as she searched for the walkie talkie. 

“Max. Lucas. Do. You. Copy?” Dustin asked again, his voice a little bit more impatient now. 

“Yeah sorry. We copy. Over.” Max said, discreetly wiping her eyes after finally being able to maneuver it out from under all the supplies. 

“What took you so long? Are you guys making out or something? Over.” She rolled her eyes, looking over at Lucas with an expression that said “is he serious?”. 

“Obviously not. Do you think we’re Mike and El? Over.” 

“Hey!” Mike yelled from the background. Lucas stifled a laugh with his hand. 

“Ok ok. Fair. Then what  _ are  _ you doing? Over.” 

“What’re  _ you _ doing?  _ You _ called  _ us _ . Over.” 

“Just wondering why you’re at your house but not back already. You guys ok? Over.” She glanced over at Lucas, silently questioning if they should tell the others the full story of what had happened. He shook his head, just slightly, mouthing the words: not yet. 

“We’re fine. We just decided we’d come back earlier. We got tired and didn’t want to keep going in the dark, so we just stopped at my house instead...Over.” He nodded, signaling that it was a good answer. 

“You sure that’s it? Over.” 

“Yeah Dustin I’m sure. How’s Mike’s leg? Over.” She asked, trying to get him away from the subject of the attacks. 

“Better. He can walk now without support so I’d say pretty good. He’s gonna have a pretty bad scar though. Over.” 

“Hey, at least he has something to prove he was in a battle. Not like anyone would believe him anyways. Over.” 

“Haha very funny. See Max I thought you actually cared about me for a second there.” Mike said, clearly having stolen the walkie from Dustin, based on the protests in the background. 

“Yeah right, Wheeler.” She teased. 

“Ok whatever. See you tomorrow. Over and out.”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow. Over and out.” She repeated, pushing the antenna down. She looked down at the radio, running her fingers over the design on the speakers, slowly tracing the small details. She jumped a little when Lucas spoke, almost forgetting he was beside her. 

“Mike?” He asked, his eyes glazed over in deep concentration, as if trying to remember. “Whose Mike?” Max glanced over at him, gently setting the radio on the bed behind her. 

“Mike. Michael Wheeler, your literal best friend since like 2nd grade? Probably gonna end up being your best man when you get married?” Lucas still looked confused, his eyebrows pressed together in concentration. 

“Luke, do you feel ok?” She asked, reaching out to feel his forehead. He nodded, pulling her hand away. “Yeah no. I’m fine. Just, brainfart. Sorry.” 

“You sure?” She asked, concern laced in her expression as she looked at him, studying him for anything out of the ordinary. 

_ Had he hit his head when he’d been attacked yesterday?  _

“Yeah seriously. I’m okay.” He said, giving her a reassuring smile. “I know who Michael Theodore Wheeler is. Tall, lanky, dark hair, has a major obsession with his girlfriend, El.” She smiled. “Must I go on?” He laughed. 

“No, no I believe you.” She laughed, reaching across him to grab his wrist, turning it toward her to look at the time on his watch.

_ 12:05 _

“It’s late.” She said quietly. 

“Yeah? How about you go to sleep.” He said, leaning towards her slightly. She hesitated for a moment, watching him, before slowly tilting her head up toward him. Dustin wouldn’t have to know about it anyways. Her eyes fluttered shut, but before she’d managed to meet him in the middle, however, he quickly leaned away, hitting her with a pillow he’d managed to grab from behind her. 

She gaped at him, reaching for the other one, swinging it at him and hitting him in the head. She somehow got the upper hand, knocking his pillow out of his hands and hitting him repeatedly, Lucas shielding his face with his hands over his head. 

“I surrender! I surrender!” 

“Good, you deserved it. I'm offended, I’m not trusting you from now on.” She said, laying back against the pillows with a smile and a sense of accomplishment. “You better wake me up this time.” 

“I will.” He promised, picking up his pillow from the floor and throwing it at her. Her smile widened, just slightly, as she pulled it toward her and laid her head on it. 

“K. Goodnight, Stalker.” 

“Night Max.” He whispered. He watched as her eyes closed, and she settled under the blankets, looking almost immediately tired. He’d missed having fun with her while he and Mike had been gone, but messing around with her now, with the pillow fights and the fireworks and finding weird stuff in the houses, had made up for all that lost time. 

He opened the book of pictures again, just for something to do. It automatically flipped open to a picture of the Party on Christmas, flooding his mind with the memories.

They’d all slept at the Wheeler’s, the only time the girls had been allowed to be in the basement at the same time, only because the boys agreed to sleep across the room in sleeping bags while the girls got the couches, not that they’d slept much anyways. He was pretty sure they’d watched every traditional Christmas movie that night, and they’d only decided to call it off when El had fallen asleep against Mike, Max close to doing the same as she leaned back against Lucas’s legs. 

They were all wearing Christmas sweaters that Dustin’s mom had made, and they weren’t bad looking either, Lucas wondered if his and Max’s were purposely supposed to match, or if that was just a coincidence, Mike’s and El’s hadn’t after all. 

His gaze traveled to Max in the picture, who was on his back, same as El on Mike’s. Her red hair flowed out from under her Santa hat, spilling over his shoulder as she leaned over him. She was laughing at something, but it looked so natural in the picture, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders even though he’d promised not to drop her. He felt like he still missed her somehow, even though she was laying right behind him. 

His eyes wandered over the picture, looking at his other friends. Dustin and Will were leaning back to back in between the two couples, Lucas’s free arm around Will’s shoulder, pulling him closer to his and Max’s side. El and Mike almost mirrored himself and Max, except El was looking at the camera and Mike was looking up at her with a gooey expression instead. He smiled, the memories slowly fading the longer he looked at the picture. 

He flipped the pages, looking at various other pictures of the party, but he couldn’t remember the stories of the pictures being taken as well as the one from Christmas, just bits and pieces. 

He looked up at the alarm clock on Max’s nightstand, realizing he’d been sitting here looking at pictures for almost two hours. He looked over his shoulder at Max, sleeping peacefully for the first time since his attack. He remembered what she’d told him, how she’d been alone, and he sighed, setting the book down beside him on the bed. 

He  _ had _ to tell her, even if she didn’t hear it, maybe it would make him feel a little less guilty. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you the way you need me to be.” He started, reaching out to pull the blanket further up her shoulder. She shifted, sinking further down into the bed, covering her face. 

“And I’m sorry I won’t be there after all of this.” He swallowed, realizing after today he might not ever see her again, but he had to protect her. “I don’t want to go, but I promise I’ll get you home first, just please don’t forget about me. Ok, Max?” 

She didn’t respond, but he didn’t expect her to, he wasn’t even sure he wanted her to say anything back, especially after she’d just told him her mom had left out of the blue, and he was seemingly doing the same thing. He knew he shouldn’t, but he just had to say it. He  _ was _ sorry. For everything, even if it hadn’t necessarily been his fault, he just wished he could’ve prevented all the bad from happening. He wished he could’ve protected her from Billy and Neil. He wished he could’ve been there when her mom left. He wished he could’ve been a better friend, and  _ boyfriend  _ after Billy had died, because it had been obvious she was struggling and had needed someone to talk to. He wished he could’ve just been there for her because after everything, Max deserved a family she could trust. 

He didn’t mean to stare, but he was already thinking about how much he was going to miss her. 

_ Was this even worth it?  _

He looked at the clock again:  _ 2:04 am.  _ It was time to switch shifts. He sighed, hanging his head as he scooted closer to where she was laying, sitting almost right beside her. 

After being at the Byers’ house for six months, he’d learned not to wake her up too suddenly. One time Mike had woken her up by screaming, and she’d panicked so much she hadn’t talked to him for the rest of the day. He leaned down slightly, gently rubbing her shoulder, slowly trailing it down her arm and to her back.

“Hey, Max.” Her breathing shifted, and she opened her eyes slowly, looking up at him, her eyes at first full of confusion. 

“You can go back to sleep if you want. We don’t have to switch shifts.” He whispered, automatically feeling bad about waking her up. She blinked a couple times, as if trying to register what he was saying, before shaking her head. 

“I’m awake.” She said simply, rubbing her eyes and sitting up, pulling on the hoodie of her red Coca Cola sweatshirt she was wearing. It was actually  _ his  _ sweatshirt, but she’d stolen it almost a year ago and it didn’t fit him anymore so he’d acted like he hadn’t noticed. 

“I’ll be back, ok?” He said slowly, knowing she wouldn’t register anything he said since she was still half asleep. 

“Where are you going?” She yawned. 

“Bathroom. I’ll be right back.” She nodded, laying back against the pillows once more. 

“Take your time.” She mumbled, her eyes closing again. She’d probably be asleep again by the time he got back. He was ok with that. 

He stepped into the hallway, grabbing his backpack from beside the door, softly closing it behind him. The bathroom was just right across the hall, but the walk somehow felt longer than it should’ve. He opened the door, looking around and checking the bathtub out of habit, just in case. 

Stopping in front of the mirror, he noticed for the first time how bad he actually looked. The bruises on his neck and face had faded a little since he and Mike had been attacked, going from a dark purple to a yellowish-green color. He had bags under his eyes, and his clothes were covered in dirt, his hair standing up in an unnatural way. After attempting to flatten it down a little with his hands, he opened his backpack, pulling out a clean white t-shirt and light blue hoodie from under the medical supplies and cans of food he’d stuffed inside. He quickly changed, avoiding looking at himself as he did so, because he knew there were new bruises on his arms and chest after the run in with that dog. 

He shoved his dirty shirt in the opened top of the backpack, before opening the small front pocket, his hands shaking as he pulled out a small, dirtied white envelope. Swallowing, his hand traced over the three small letters he’d written on the front of it. He slid it into the pocket of his canvas jacket, which was lying folded on the closed toilet seat, before gently setting it on the counter beside him. He  _ had  _ to keep that safe. It was  _ important.  _

He turned to the sink, watching as the water washed away the dirtiness of the unused sink. Rolling up the sleeves of his sweatshirt, he reached his hand out to test the water, finding it ice cold, and as he touched it, a flash of the MindFlayer occupied his vision. He stumbled, falling back against the open door as he stared back at his reflection in the mirror. He took a deep breath, turning off the water, he would just wash his hands later. 

He picked up his backpack, just as another flash took over, this time sending a wave of pain through his body, making him drop it again. He yelled out in pain, holding his hands over his ears to try to block out the voices telling him to end it all. White pain exploded through his skull, feeling as if something was pulling him apart. Everything was too loud, or too overwhelming. Everything around him was overstimulating his senses. 

“Lucas!” It all stopped instantly, and as he opened his eyes he could now see Max kneeling in front of him, her hand resting on his knee. He looked around, noticing that he was sitting on the ground with his back up against the tub, last he remembered he was standing in the doorway.

“Are you ok? What’s wrong? Why’re you screaming?” He slowly pulled his hands away from his ears, looking around her. 

“Hey.” She snapped in front of his face, his attention automatically turning to her. She didn’t look like the same, tired Max he’d seen five minutes ago. Or had it been longer? He wasn’t sure. 

“Do you know where you are?” He nodded. 

“Yeah.” 

“Do you know who  _ I _ am?” 

“Max.” He said instantly. 

“What happened?” He thought for a second. He had no idea why he was on the floor. 

“I… I don’t know.” Max opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it. He had to know. 

“What time is it?” 

“What?” She looked confused. 

“ _ What. Time. Is it Max?”  _ She reached forward, gently lifting his wrist up to look at his watch again. 

“3:30.” She said simply, as if it was normal, but Lucas felt his heart drop. 

“3:30?” He exclaimed. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“How long have I been screaming?” 

“Lucas-“ Max started. 

“How long!” He interrupted, starting to panic. Max looked at him gently, sliding her hand from his knee to his hand, her fingers softly brushing over his. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. 

“I don’t know. I woke up like five minutes ago. I figured you were just taking a shower or something, but I heard you yelling and thought you were hurt.” For the first time, he noticed the rifle sitting next to her on the floor. She had been ready to risk her life, again, for him. She would’ve saved him twice already. 

“Max I woke you up at two. I  _ was not _ in here for an hour and a half...I’m sure of it.” 

She swallowed, watching him for a moment, before standing up, he had to stop himself from reaching out for her again. 

“Come on. You’re probably just tired. Get some sleep and you’ll be fine.” She held her hands out, and he reached for them, pulling himself up off the bathroom floor. He instantly felt dizzy, his vision going black. He stumbled again, reaching forward for anything to balance himself. 

“Whoa.” He felt Max’s hands under his arm and against his back as his hands found the edge of the counter. He took deep breaths, staring forward as his vision cleared. 

“Lucas-“ 

“Water.” He said slowly. “I need water.” He leaned down against his hands, closing his eyes. “I’m just dehydrated.” 

He heard the faucet turn on, and soon Max was beside him again with a cup of water. “Drink it.” She said firmly, as if him denying it wasn't an option. 

He tipped his head back, finishing the cup in two gulps. The cold water slipped down his throat, stinging a little at the sudden sensation, making his head throb. Setting the cup down on the counter, he looked up at her. 

“Did that help?” She asked. 

“Yeah a little.” He lied _. What was wrong with him? He never lied to her. _ “You might be right about being tired though.” She nodded, slinging his half open backpack over her shoulder, grabbing his jacket off the counter and the gun off the floor, before gesturing to the open door. 

He didn’t object, walking past her and heading straight back to her bedroom, not bothering to check if anything was in the room when he entered. He was suddenly so, so tired. He fell down on the bed, too exhausted to slip under the blankets. 

He felt the bed sink beside him as Max sat down, her hand coming down to softly rub his back from where he laid on his stomach. He let her, starting to drift off at the familiar motions of her hand tracing shapes over the soft fabric of his sweatshirt. He felt his head sink into the pillows more, and a blanket being laid over him, but before he could see if it was Max, or just his imagination, he was asleep. 

—————————————————————

_ ”He likes it cold.” Will’s voice echoed around him.  _

_ Tunnels. Weaving in and out of Hawkins.  _

_ He was back at the Byers, drawings taped up in every inch of the home.  _

_ “This is it, this is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnels.” Mike was saying.  _

_ Max was beside him, so were Dustin and Steve.  _

_ “By the time they realize we’re gone-“  _

_ “El would be at the gate.” Max finished.  _

_ Will was screaming now. “He’s lying! He’s lying!”  _

_ Everything went black.  _

_ He was laughing. Max was with him. She leaned closer, and he felt himself leaning towards her without a second thought. She was gone. He was alone again.  _

_ Darkness.  _

_ “Kill the girl. Kill them all.” Voices echoing around him. A flash of Max. Then Dustin and Mike. His friends were screaming for him.  _

_ He was something else, running over the grounds of Hawkins, chasing something.  _

_ “Lucas!” Max. “Lucas c'mon you gotta get up. Please get up. Lucas don’t go!”  _

_ “Bring them to me.”  _

_ A flash of El. Then Will.  _

_ Finish this.  _

Lucas gasped, sitting up. He was sweating. 

Max turned toward him quickly from where she was sitting on the edge of her bed. Light now streamed in from the windows. It was morning, but just barely. 

“What? What’s wrong?” She asked, her movements seemed delayed. Slowed. Her voice echoey. 

Lucas simply stared, panting hard. He threw the blanket off of him, climbing out of the bed, slightly dizzy. 

“We need to leave.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn’t intend for this chapter to be so long. I knew it was longer than others but when I selected it I wasn’t expecting 6,000+ words.   
> I know this chapter is kinda vague in some parts, I just kinda wanted to show how Lucas was feeling in the moment, moving quickly from one thing to another.   
> Next chapter will be Friday. Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	8. The Spy 2.0

Max was running after Lucas as fast as she could, pushing plants and bushes out of her way and ducking low-hanging branches as she did so, but he was still a good fifty feet ahead of her, even  _ with  _ a basket of fireworks. 

He hadn’t explained why they were running, why they had even left the house so early. The sun had just barley risen over the horizon, making the forest look a golden orange instead of its normal green and brown. She would’ve thought it was beautiful, if Lucas wasn’t currently yelling at her to hurry up. 

“Max faster, cmon!” She caught up to where he was waiting for her in a small clearing, clutching the stitch in her side as she bent over, breathing heavily. 

“Lucas-“ 

“We’ve got to go c'mon.” He said, starting to move again, but she reached out, catching his arm and pulling him back. 

“Can you please tell me what’s going on? Because you’re kinda freaking me with how vague you’re being about this, and I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m  _ not _ a track athlete.” His expression softened as she gasped for air, but he continued to look around them anxiously. 

“They’re coming. The Rogue. I don’t know how I know that but I do. They know where we are and they’re...they’re trying to get  _ you _ .”

“Me?” She exclaimed, standing up straighter. “Why me?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“How do you know it’s me?” 

“I don’t know!” 

“Lucas where-“ 

“Max I don’t know ok! I don’t know. Somehow in the moment I just knew. Can we just keep going now before something bad happens?” He practically shouted, gesturing back toward the direction of the Byers house. 

She set her jaw, staring back at him with almost the same intensity he was giving her. She was a bit taken back by how impatient he’d been lately, especially with her, but she swallowed back her questions and worries and nodded. He could explain it all later. “Ok.” 

“Ok. I’m sorry. I just want to get home. I didn’t mean to get all…” he gestured with his hands, not really sure how to explain his outburst. 

“Lucas shut up.” She interrupted suddenly, turning her back to him. 

“Excuse me?” 

“I heard something.” She whispered, scanning the forest around her. Lucas carefully set down the basket of fireworks beside him, pulling out his crossbow. Max, somehow sensing him behind her, followed his lead and pulled out her rifle, never taking her eyes off the forest, even for a second when checking to see if it was loaded. The two instinctively moved toward each other, both facing opposite ways, their backs almost together. With their weapons aimed ahead, they searched for anything out of ordinary in the forest around them. 

The world around them seemed to go silent, even the birds stopped their chirping, the wind seeming to stop in its tracks, making the woods seem eerie and abandoned. One of the bushes shifted, just slightly, and Max felt her heart beat speed up. 

“Lucas.” She whispered. 

“Yeah?”

“12 o’clock.” She felt him slowly turn around, his shoulder brushing hers as he stepped past her, aiming straight ahead, but the bush didn’t move again. They both stared intently ahead, seemingly waiting for something. 

There was a growl, and Max turned just in time to see a single demodog lunge for them from behind. She grabbed Lucas by his jacket, pulling him out of the way at the last second, as the dog let out a roar, it’s claws ripping the bottom of his canvas jacket. . 

Taking aim, she shot it right in the direct center of its opened-pedaled head, dropping it to the ground instantly. She could hear Lucas’s arrows from his crossbow flying around her, fighting off more dogs as they swarmed them from every possible direction. 

“Lucas hit the center!” She yelled, shooting another one as it broke free from the bushes into the clearing, running straight for her. 

“What?” He yelled, his voice full of confusion as he pulled an arrow out of his bag, stabbing a dog that had lunged too close. 

“The center!” She yelled, hitting a dog that had snuck up behind her with the butt of her gun. “Like a flower. Hit the middle!” She hoped he had understood that, because she didn’t know any better way to explain it. 

He seemed to, dropping two dogs to the ground in a matter of seconds. There had to be more than just one pack of dogs, Will said the Rogues had seven or eight, and there were easily fifteen or twenty surrounding them. 

“Lucas what do we do?” She yelled. He had to have an idea. He  _ always _ had an idea. 

“Keep.” He grunted, stabbing another dog laying on the ground in front of him before taking aim and shooting the same arrow right after, all in one fluid motion. “Fighting.” 

She spun around, shooting any and every dog that got too close to either one of them. 

The more she shot, the more anxious she became, she had a weapon, but even with the gun in her hands, some of them were getting way too close for comfort. They’d only had to fight one so far, and the monsters didn’t play fair, taking advantage of every opportunity. 

“Max!” Lucas suddenly yelled. She turned to look at him, his crossbow pointed straight at her. Her heart stopped. 

“Duck!” She dropped down, right as Lucas shot an arrow over her head, hitting a dog that had lunged at her from behind. 

“Thanks.” She panted, relief washing over her at the fact that he hadn’t been aiming at her. 

Lucas smiled, his arm steadying the weapon relaxing slightly as he looked at her. She looked so cool, wearing his old hoodie and shooting the gun like she'd done it all her life. He should’ve given her the chance to come with him sooner, before-

Max shot right above his left shoulder, the bullet whizzing past his ear. He could hear it breaking the air around it as it did. 

“Are you trying to kill me?!” He exclaimed. 

“Stop staring! I just saved your life. Again!” She yelled over the roaring, Lucas turned around to see a dead dog lying about five feet from him. “Mad Max: 2 Stalker: 0” 

“I’ve killed more dogs!” He retorted playfully, not bothering to mention it was actually three times she’d saved him, not two, if she counted pulling him out of the way. 

“Oh it’s on Sinclair!” She said, not taking her eyes off the dogs as she shot them down, one by one, quickly catching up to him. 

_ No _ , he would not admit he was impressed and  _ no _ , he would not let her beat him at this. 

He shook his head in amusement, a smile building on his face as he took aim once again, shooting a dog out of the air. They  _ always _ made it a competition.  _ Always _ . 

  
  


“I’m almost out!” He yelled sometime later, pulling another arrow out and shooting one of the smaller remaining dogs, pinning it against a tree. His arm was getting tired from reloading this thing over and over, and thinking about having to recollect the arrows after this was done, was enough to make him sick. 

“Me too! What do we do now?” Max called back, moving slowly toward him, but keeping her eyes ahead. Six dogs were left, but Lucas only had two more arrows. Max wasn’t sure where her ammo count was at. 

The creatures were smarter than they seemed, slowly creating a circle around the two, surrounding them. 

“Hey, so if we die, I need to tell you something.” Lucas started. 

“Tell me after.” Max said, shooting him a glance, a smile forming on her face. 

“What if we don’t have after?” 

“Then guess you didn’t really need to tell me that bad.” 

“Max, I’m serious I need to tell you something-“ one of the dogs growled, taking a step forward, it was clearly the alpha of the pack, bigger and stronger than all the others. The two jumped a little, raising their weapons higher. 

“We beat these things, then you tell me. It won’t mean as much if you just die afterwards.” 

“If I die it doesn’t matter.” 

“What?” She looked over at him, feeling her arm drop slightly. Lucas had  _ never  _ even joked about something that like, ever. He  _ knew  _ he mattered, especially to her. What had changed? 

“Lucas you don’t think you matter?” Her voice almost broke, but she managed to control it. The bigger dog growled again, lower and rougher this time, as if it was sick of them talking. 

“That’s not what I meant.” He mumbled, though he didn’t sound so sure. “I meant what I had to say wouldn’t matter. But let’s just beat these things. You’re right. It won’t mean anything if I die after.” 

“Then what do we do?” She asked. 

“Don’t know.” He snapped, setting his jaw. Was he mad at her? 

“Hey-“ 

“Beat monsters first, then talk at home.” He said, shooting her a mischievous smile. “I think I’m winning.” She shook her head. 

“I can’t believe you.” She laughed. “I’m clearly winning.” 

“Oh yeah? Ok smarty, how do we beat these things?” She glanced at him for a moment, waiting for him to tell her his bright idea, but he didn’t meet her gaze, aiming at the dogs in front of them. 

__ Suddenly Lucas’s words from the first day popped into Max’s mind:  _ If we get into a bad situation, we’ve found out fire gets them away for a while, so use that to your advantage.  _

“Fire.” She mumbled. 

“What?” Lucas asked, shooting her a quick look over his shoulder, his finger tightening around the trigger of his crossbow. If he shot they would all attack, he was sure of it, and he didn’t have enough ammo to fight them all. 

“Fire.” She said again, reaching over to grab the lighter out of his backpack’s side pocket, and suddenly he realized she hadn’t been talking to him, she’d been remembering. 

He reached down, grabbing a nearby stick. Max handed him the lighter, and he flipped the top open, the small flame lighting the dry bark on fire almost instantly. He stepped in front of her, holding the stick out and waving it between the dogs. 

Seemingly sensing it’s opportunity, one of the bigger dogs from behind ran for him, but Max was prepared. 

“Behind you!” she yelled, aiming her gun at the five still spread out in front of them. Lucas spun, stabbing the monster through the center of the mouth with the burning stick. It crumpled, disintegrating almost instantly as it let out a shriek. 

The two teens shared a look of pure amazement, another one of the animals charging for them. Max took aim, shooting it down immediately. 

Lucas tossed the smoldering stick away, flipping open his lighter again, his crossbow hanging loosely in his other hand. The dogs backed up, flinching whenever Lucas took a step closer with the lighter. He waved it in front of them, and they growled angrily, before turning away and running back into the forest. 

He smiled. They’d won. 

A sharp pain exploded through his head, but when he opened his mouth no sound came out. He tried to call for Max, she was right in front of him, her back to him watching the dogs, but he couldn’t get any words out. He squeezed his eyes shut, the pressure behind his eyes was building up too much for him to handle. 

Max watched as the four remaining injured dogs disappeared back into the forest, hearing Lucas flipping the lighter closed behind her. 

“We did it.” She said quietly, her voice full of unbelief. “Lucas we did it they’re-“ she turned around, fully ready to hug him, but instead was surprised to find his crossbow pointed straight at her chest, for the second time that day. She looked behind her for a remaining dog that had stayed behind, but there was none this time. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him, his expression blank, his eyes darker than normal and cold. So, so cold. 

“What’re you doing?” She whispered nervously. He set his jaw, keeping his eyes trained on her, but he didn’t respond. “Lucas, cmon put it down it’s not funny.” She took a step forward, and he flinched, his extended arm holding the crossbow stiffening.

“Don’t. Move.” He seethed. She swallowed down the lump in her throat, flinching backwards out of habit. 

It felt  _ wrong _ to be scared of him. 

“Are you going to shoot me Lucas?” She asked, voice as shaky as her breathing. 

“I have no choice.” He practically whispered, his voice raw and heavy with emotion, but his expression stayed as blank as it had been previously. “I don’t want to do it but he’s making me. I can’t stop him.” 

She took a shaky breath, tears threatening to spill as she was finally able to realize what had been so different about him. He wasn’t even  _ himself  _ at all. He was being controlled. 

She was suddenly hit with the memories of Billy that day in the sauna, crying and begging her to believe him.  _ It’s not my fault, Max. I promise you it’s not my fault. I tried to stop him, ok? I did. Please believe me Max.  _

She remembered Will, she hadn’t technically  _ seen _ him but she knew he’d killed an entire Lab full of scientists, he’d sent a pack of dogs to attack them, without even knowing it. 

It scared her a little, knowing whatever this thing was could just take over and hurt the people you loved the most. 

“No.” She whispered. “No, please not you too.” Lucas’ arm shook, but his expression stayed steady, his eyes locking on hers, glaring at her like she’d ruined his entire life. She’d never seen him look so angry with her, or with any of them really, Lucas was the calm one. Always patient. She had to admit it was a little intimidating, and she was glad she’d never been on the other side of it until now. Sure, they’d got in arguments before but he’d never looked like he was going to kill her before. 

“Do you even know who I am?” She asked, trying to stall and buy herself some time, but she also had to know. 

His expression softened, and his arm dropped, just slightly. “Max.” He whispered, almost instantly. 

“Yeah.” She said gently, letting out a silent breath of relief as she moved toward him slowly. “Yeah it’s me.” 

Lucas watched her move closer, but he didn’t make any move to stop her this time. “Max?” He whispered again, sounding as if he was confused as to why she was even here with him. She was closer now, but if he decided to pull that trigger the arrow would still hit its target, she wasn’t close enough to take it just yet. 

“Lucas, listen to me.” She started softly. “I can help you, ok? I  _ want _ to help you. I just need you to help  _ me _ first, can you do that?” He raised his chin a little higher, his expression hardening once more. 

“Why would I help you?” He hissed. 

She swallowed, struggling to come up with an answer. “Because, you want to kill it as much as I do-“ 

“Shut up!” He yelled, interrupting her, she stopped moving, watching him carefully. She knew the signs of anger too well to make any sudden movements. “Shut up! You don’t understand! If I don’t kill you, he’s going to kill me instead!” Her grip tightened on the rifle, flinching as he yelled at her. 

She  _ wouldn’t  _ shoot him. She  _ couldn’t  _ shoot him. It was taking over Lucas, she didn’t want to kill  _ him _ , let alone  _ hurt _ him, she wanted to kill whatever  _ was _ hurting him. 

His eyes flicked downward at the movement, seeing the gun in her hands for the first time. He sucked in a breath. 

“I don’t wanna die Max.” He whispered, his eyes slowly coming up to meet hers. She looked down at the gun in her hands. “Please Max I don’t wanna die.” 

This was a trick, she  _ knew _ it was a trick, Billy had tricked her and she wouldn’t fall for it again. 

“Lucas it’s gonna be ok.” She whispered, taking one more careful step toward him. She was so close, standing right in front of him now. “It’s gonna be ok. I  _ promise  _ you.” His hand lowered again, just barey. She was getting through. 

He was visibly shaking, his eyes locked onto her, watching her every move. She swallowed, slowly bending down and setting the gun on the ground, before holding her hands up in the air again. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” She whispered. “I promise.” 

Lucas’ arm dropped to his side, his expression defeated as he looked at her. “Max.” He whispered desperately. “Please.” She smiled at him, slowly reaching her hand forward for the weapon in his hand.

“I just need you to trust me, ok?” His gaze followed her arm, landing on the weapon at his side, before looking back up at her. His gaze was icy, and he pulled his hand back a little as soon as her fingers brushed the weapon, moving it just out of her reach. 

“You lied to me?” He said dangerously, his eyes reflecting back the same black emptiness she’d been seeing before, the fear that had been in his eyes previously vanishing, instantly being replaced with anger. She’d seen that look too many times. With Neil, with Billy, with Mike but at a much lower level, she knew what it meant. 

Her eyes widened. “No.” She started. “No, I didn’t lie to you.” 

Lucas re-centered the weapon, taking a step back and aiming it straight at her. “I’m sorry, Max.” He said, though he didn’t sound very sorry. “But you’re getting in the way of my mission.” 

She swallowed, taking a shaky breath. She wouldn’t let the last thing he saw be her crying, but she also wasn’t going to take back her promise. She wasn’t going to hurt him, even if it meant he would hurt her. She closed her eyes. 

_ It’ll be over soon. _ She thought to herself.  _ It can’t be that bad, right?  _ Her stomach twisted into knots. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to find her mom. She wanted to get through this with Lucas like he’d promised they would that night at his house. She didn’t want to leave her friends. There was so much she hadn’t done in her life. She was only fifteen. 

She wondered if Billy had felt like this before he died. 

_ Scared.  _

_ Billy was  _ **_never_ ** _ scared. He was  _ **_brave_ ** _. Be brave like Billy. Don’t cry. Crying is for babies.  _

Tears of fear started to build in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her heart was beating twice as fast as normal, her breaths coming out choppy and short, but she wouldn’t give the Mind Flayer the satisfaction this time. 

_ She wouldn’t cry.  _

Suddenly there was a growl, followed by a scream and Max opened her eyes just in time to see a demodog jump Lucas from behind, sending his crossbow flying out of his hands and landing about ten feet away from him. 

It had come back to finish its mission. 

Lucas flipped to his back, holding the monster away from his face with his hands, the two wrestling back and forth. 

“Max! Shoot it!” He yelled, and this time she recognized his voice as himself. The Mind Flayer couldn’t hold him for very long. “Max!” She scrambled to pick up her gun, carefully aiming it at the monster, but the two were moving around too much. She didn’t want to shoot Lucas by accident. 

“Hold it still!” She yelled, keeping the gun steady. 

“I’m...trying!” Lucas struggled, rolling his head to the side as the monster lunged at his face. Max aimed the gun, focusing right onto the center of the monster's chest, right where it’s heart would be. She breathed in, pulling the trigger. 

Nothing happened. 

She shook the gun, realizing she was out of ammo. She let out a string of curse words, looking around her for anything else she could use to save Lucas. 

“Max!” He screamed, pushing the monster away once again, but his strength was dissipating from holding it back so long. There was suddenly a sharp pain in his left arm, the feeling of something cutting into his skin. He cried out, feeling blood spill from his arm and down his sleeve. He slipped as the creature took advantage of his injured arm, its body pushing further onto his, forcing him deeper into the dirt. It pulled back, roaring into his face, before lunging for him once more. He flinched, closing his eyes. 

There was a click, followed by the zing of something breaking the air around it, and Lucas opened his eyes again, right as an arrow shot straight through the creature's heart from behind, stopping inches from his own chest. He turned to look up at Max, slowly lowering his crossbow, breathing hard. 

He grunted, using the rest of his strength to shove the creature off of him from where he was laying on the hardened dirt of the forest floor, but he made no move to get up. 

Max hurried to him, slinging the crossbow over her own backpack, dropping to her knees beside him. 

“Are you ok?” She panted, mentally slapping herself because  _ obviously _ he wasn’t ok. 

“I’m...fine.” He said weakly, his breathing wheezy. The last few minutes were a blur, one minute the dogs were running away and the next Max was standing in front of him and a dog was attacking him from behind. She’d looked so scared. __

_ What had he done to her?  _

“Max?” He started. He didn’t miss the way his voice broke, and neither did she. 

“I’m right here. It’s ok Lucas.” She whispered. 

“It hurts.” He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Where?” She asked gently. Lucas weakly gestured to his hurt arm, a dark spot already forming on the blue sleeve, he kept his eyes closed. 

Max took her backpack off, unzipping the front pocket and pulling out a small pocket knife. She carefully cut his sleeve away, Lucas groaning again as it jerked his arm. 

“Sorry.” She mumbled.

“S’okay.” He said through clenched teeth. 

She ripped the cloth away, being sure not to accidentally touch the wound. “Lucas, you’re…” she stopped, her eyes widening and her breath quickening. “Bleeding.” 

He was bleeding, a lot, but that’s not what surprised her. His blood wasn’t red, like normal, but a dark, oily black, completely different from Will and more like...Billy. 

He looked up at her, wincing as he tried to sit up a little. “What?” She looked up at him, but couldn’t form any words to answer him. “Max, what is it?” 

She was panicking, and she was freaking him out. She tried to calm herself down, tried to stop herself, but she couldn’t speak. 

“It’s nothing. Don’t sit up. You’ll make it worse.” She managed, her throat getting drier the longer she talked. 

Reaching forward, she gently lifted his arm up from the ground, trying to get a better look, but at the sudden contact he tore his arm away from her, leaning toward her. 

“Get away from me.” He growled, his voice far from his own. She fell back, pushing herself away from him, her breathing now scarily erratic. The emptiness in his eyes was back. 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but now Lucas was suddenly laying on his back again, writhing around in pain, holding his injured arm close to his chest as he cried. 

“Max…” her breathing was shallow now, scared. “Max, please...call Dustin, please Max it hurts so much, please.” 

She had to help him. He was still her best friend, even if he had been going to shoot her. 

She slowly moved forward, reaching for her bag and snatching it away from beside him, not daring to get too close. She dug through the bag for the walkie talkie, occasionally looking up as Lucas whimpered and begged her to help him. 

Finally, she found it, yanking it out of the backpack and pushing the button immediately, her gaze focused on Lucas. 

“Dustin, do you copy? Over.” Her voice sounded strained. She knew Dustin would catch it. 

“I copy. Are you ok? Over.” 

“You have to come get us. Please. Over.” She whispered, swallowing down the lump in her throat. 

“What’s wrong? Over.” 

“Lucas...we-we got attacked. He’s hurt. I can’t carry him and all the stuff all the way back. Dustin please just hurry.” 

“Max! It hurts!” Lucas screamed, curling into a ball and clutching his stomach. She automatically dropped the radio, moving closer. “It hurts! Make it stop, Max, please!” 

Dustin was screaming for her to answer. Yelling her name and repeating the same phrase over and over. “Max come in, do you copy? Max!” 

She ignored him, moving closer to Lucas, crouching over him and gently putting her hand on his shoulder. “Lucas. Hey. Hey look at me. Lucas!” 

“Make it stop. Please.” Tears were streaming down his cheeks now, cutting through the dirt on his face, Max felt herself start to cry, all the self control she’d been holding onto before had vanished, she couldn’t stop it anymore. 

“Lucas please you have to talk to me. Where does it hurt?” She choked out. 

“Everywhere!” He yelled. 

“Lucas. Hey! C'mon. I need you to calm down ok. Please” 

Lucas made what sounded like a choking noise, and Max watched him carefully as he started shaking. 

“Lucas.” She said gently, rubbing her hand up his arm. He flipped to his back, shaking violently now, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. She stood up, backing away slightly as she watched him, eyes wide. It was just like Mike had described when telling them what had happened to Will. A tear ran down her cheek. 

_ What was she supposed to do?  _

“Max!” Dustin screamed, his voice breaking up. 

“Max! C‘mon answer!” It was Will this time. “Max!” 

Even if she wanted to speak, she knew she couldn’t. She was frozen. Lucas screamed, and her blood ran cold. 


	9. Maybe

Max watched Lucas’s sleeping form, occasionally glancing at the makeshift heart monitor next to the bed, just to make sure the steady beat hadn’t changed. “What’s wrong with him.” She asked, keeping her gaze on him instead of looking at anyone else. 

“He got attacked by a demodog.” Mike whispered from beside her. 

“No duh Mike I was there!” She snapped, turning toward him. He jumped back from her, and El gently put her hand on her arm from where she was standing on her other side, pulling her back and calming her down just a little. 

“No. I mean...the Rogue ones. That one day I got hurt...he got bit. He didn’t tell you. He...he didn’t want the two of you to know.” She looked up at him, and he swallowed, refusing to meet her eyes, watching Lucas instead. 

“You should’ve told me.” She said through gritted teeth. Mike nodded, agreeing, but still couldn’t look at her. 

“He’s been attacked more than once, no one deserves that.” She whispered to herself. 

“What?” El asked. The others looked at her curiously. 

“He said we saw the dogs more in this one trip than he and Mike saw in three. He got attacked one time when we were in a house, the second day, so this wasn’t the first time. I-I think they were following us.” 

“They were.” Dustin said, and everyone turned to him.

“What?” 

“Lucas was the spy.” He explained. “They  _ were  _ following you.” 

“What do you mean? Like Will was, like they could see?” 

“Yeah. I guess what I mean is, somehow, when he was attacked, a dog injected some kind of...poison, into his bloodstream, that allowed them to see almost through his eyes.” 

“So take it out.” She bit. 

“It’s not that simple.” Will spoke up. “By now the poison’s spread throughout his whole body, which is why-“ he gestured toward her. 

“Which is why his blood was black.” She finished. Dustin and Will both nodded. 

“But he hasn’t been flayed. Don’t worry.” Will said softly, as if reading her mind. Ever since seeing his blood it was all she could think about. She’d been spending her day so worried if it was too late. She rubbed a hand over her face, turning her attention toward Dustin. 

“Did you know? That they were following us?” 

“No. I knew they always seemed to be in the same places but...you guys didn’t report any attacks, so I figured everything was fine.” She swallowed. If something bad had happened, they probably wouldn’t have known, and Lucas probably would’ve been dead. 

“Then what can we do?” 

“He told us about this the first day he and Mike came back, and he was worried. We took a sample of his blood, but it hasn’t really changed since then. We can take a sample now and compare the two, find out what’s causing it to spread. If Will and I can study it, then we can maybe find a way to reverse it.” 

“Maybe?” She whispered. 

“We…don’t know how long it could take.” Will said softly. She swallowed again, suddenly aware that El had grabbed her hand, though she wasn’t sure when. She squeezed it. 

“And if you can’t?” She asked shakily. She wasn’t even sure she wanted an answer, and seeing the way Dustin and Will glanced at each other, as if sharing the unsaid truth between the two of them, confirming the fear inside her, didn’t make her feel any better. 

Max turned around, shoving her way in between Mike and El and out into the hallway. She could hear El calling after her, but her friends voice slowly faded out as the walls seemed to close in, the ceiling falling on top of her. She couldn’t breathe, the smallness of the house slowly suffocating her. She couldn’t stay here. 

Forcing her feet to move, she made her way to the front door, throwing it open. She stepped out into the chilly nighttime air, the cold of the night instantly brushing across her skin. It was hard to imagine that the attack had happened almost twelve hours ago. Will and Dustin had been doing tests, and checking for serious injuries. She hadn’t been brave enough to see Lucas in the moment. 

Her gaze rose up at the stars, shining brightly in the velvet black sky. She sucked in a breath full of air, but couldn’t manage to blow it back out, the cold burning her lungs with each inhale. 

Someone was following her, she could hear footsteps behind her. 

It was probably El. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted her best friend here with her right now. She wouldn’t understand. El still  _ had  _ Mike. Lucas was in worse condition than his best friend had been. Mike hadn’t been  _ injected with poison.  _ She felt a sudden jealousy that Lucas had been hurt worse, but she knew it was wrong. Mike was still one of her best friends, one of the only other people she even knew was still alive, she didn’t want  _ anyone _ hurt.  _ That  _ was the difference between her and Billy. 

“Max.” Will said from behind her, appearing in the open doorway. She didn’t turn around. “Where are you going?” 

She tried to breathe, tried to tell Will she wasn’t going anywhere, but she couldn’t even get a breath out, let alone the words. She’d been pretty reserved since they’d gotten home, but the fact that Lucas had been taken over by the Mind Flayer was just barely catching up with her. It scared her. 

“Max?” Will said again, stepping closer. She flinched slightly as his hand landed on her shoulder, feeling him pull back as she did. 

“Will-“ she managed, just getting her friend’s name out gave her a little bit of breathing room. “I-I can’t breathe.” 

“What?” He asked, stepping around in front of her. 

“I can’t breathe, Will! Please!” Max gasped, starting to panic. She’d never had an attack this bad before. She looked up into his forest green eyes, almost instantly calming down just enough to concentrate on him talking to her. She’d never actually looked into his eyes before, she’d never had a need to, but as she did, she noticed how they were almost comforting. 

“Whoa, hey. Just look at me. It’s ok.” Will whispered gently, reaching out to hold onto her arm. “It’s ok. I just need you to follow what I do, ok?” She nodded. 

“Ok, breathe it in. Hold it there. Good.” He smiled, showing her that it was ok. “Now blow it out...just blow Max-” 

“I can’t!” She burst, her chest tight, sending sharp stabs of pain throughout her body as she forced the words out. “I can’t do anything right anymore! I couldn’t save Billy and now I’m going to lose Lucas the same way and-” 

“Hey.” He interrupted, his voice firm. She hung her head, because she knew that was the wrong thing to say, even if it was true. She slid her hands to the back of her neck, looking up at the dark sky and sucking in another breath, even though it burned. She had to keep breathing. She knew that much. 

“Billy dying was  _ not  _ your fault, and Lucas is gonna be fine. Dustin and I are going to do  _ literally _ everything we can, ok? We’re not just gonna let him go.” 

She let her arms fall back down to her side, squeezing her hands together into fists, her nails digging into her palms to control herself shaking as she looked up at him.

“Do you promise?” His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders as he looked her straight in the eye. 

“ _ Promise.” _ In that moment, his eyes locked onto hers in such a way she knew he wouldn’t lie to her. He was promising like Mike would, and Mike had  _ never  _ broken a promise. 

Somehow she managed to blow out a breath, quickly sucking in more air as she did so. Her breathing was shaky and unsteady but it was getting better. 

_ Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale _ . She concentrated on the steady patterns, blocking out everything else. 

_ “Don’t concentrate on all the bad.”  _ She heard Lucas whispering. “ _ Focus on something else. Anything else that makes you happy. Thinking about what’s scaring you will only scare you more. You’re strong Max, it’s okay. Just breathe.”  _

She closed her eyes, picturing Lucas crouching in front of her as she leaned against the wall of the dark, empty gym, her knees pulled close to her chest. She couldn’t remember what had set off the attack, only that she’d run out of the study hall classroom without warning. 

“ _ It’s gonna be ok.”  _

_ “Lucas please.”  _ She whimpered. “ _ Please don’t go.”  _

_ “I’m not going anywhere. _ ” He whispered, moving closer, her hand holding on tightly to his.  _ “I’m right here. Just breathe.”  _

_ “Billy…”  _

_ “I know.”  _ He whispered. “ _ You don’t need to explain.”  _

She opened her eyes again, seeing that Will was still beside her, watching her intently. That was what she needed to concentrate on right now. She wasn’t alone. That was enough. 

__

_ They’re gonna do everything they can. He promised. Friends don’t lie. Breathe Max. It’s okay.  _

“Do you want to go back inside?” Will asked, his words gentle as they cut through her thoughts. She shook her head, just slightly. 

“No. It all felt too small, like I was trapped. I wanna stay out here for awhile.” Will nodded, as if he understood, which he probably did. She’d helped him through several panic attacks, especially after his mom and Jonathan had disappeared. They had a silent understanding between the two of them, and a connection no one else seemed to understand. They weren’t the best friends out of the group, but they always understood each other, were always there for each other. Max never felt as if Will was judging her or trying to make her feel uncomfortable, he was always there to listen. 

“Do you want to sit down at least?” Max felt herself nodding, lowering herself down onto the wooden steps of the porch, but her mind was elsewhere. She focused her gaze on the forest in the near distance, barley making out the shape of the trees from the giant mass of darkness. She heard Will leaving, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to stay or not. Wasn’t sure if she wanted him beside her or not, to listen to her worries about all of this. 

No, she knew. She wanted him here. He understood the situation better than anyone else, he’d been in Lucas’s place two years ago. 

_ “It’s gonna get better Max. Remember last year? It got better didn’t it.” Lucas whispered _ . 

“ _ Yeah but last year my brother didn’t die.” She snapped. He looked a little taken aback by this, leaning back from her slightly.  _

_ “Sorry.” She said. “I’m not trying to be a jerk. It just sucks.”  _

_ “I know. I’m sorry.”  _

Will was back now, sitting down beside her again, and she breathed out a silent breath of relief that he’d come back, saving her from getting lost in her thoughts, but kept her gaze forward, watching a couple of fireflies flying around in the darkness. 

“Here.” He whispered, holding a cup of water into her line of sight. She glanced at him, before taking the cup, quickly drinking the glass of cool water. It made her chest not feel as tight. 

“What’re you thinking about?” He whispered, taking the cup back and setting it behind him on the porch. 

“Just...stuff. Everything ends up going back to him anyways.” 

“Lucas?” She nodded, lacing her fingers together in her lap. 

“I just...I feel like he’s already gone. I keep remembering things I’d forgotten about.” 

“But he’s not gone.” Will whispered “He’s inside, and he’s safe. Nothing’s going to hurt him anymore. You know that right?” 

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Yeah, I know. I guess I’m just scared of losing all the memories with him.” 

“Do you really think you’re going to lose him?” Will asked, sounding genuinely curious. She swallowed down the tears on the verge of spilling, fighting to remain in control of her emotions. Fighting to keep her voice level. 

“I don’t know.” He watched her sadly, wishing there was something he could do to help her, but he wasn’t Lucas. He didn’t know what to do or say that would make her feel better, didn’t know how to calm her down while she was panicking like this. He didn’t know how to make her feel safe like Lucas would. 

“Even if he doesn’t…” she swallowed, squeezing her eyes shut as she forced the word out. “... _ die _ . I’m not even sure he’ll remember me, or  _ us,  _ our relationship. He forgot about  _ Mike,  _ his literal  _ best friend  _ since like second grade. I’ve only known him for like a year and a half, maybe two. I’m not as... _ special _ as Mike was to him. He only remembered me because I was the most recent person around him, because I just happened to be there when he was forgetting everything else. He probably won’t even remember me when he wakes up and that…” she squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “That scares me more than anything.” 

“Hey.” Will whispered. “He did not  _ only  _ remember you because you were with him. I mean...that probably helped a little, but he remembered you because you’re the most important thing to him in the world.” 

“That’s not true-“ Max started, but he wasn’t finished. He had to make her see what  _ he  _ saw. 

“You don’t get it do you?” She turned toward him, her eyebrows pressing together in confusion. 

“You really don’t see the way he looks at you? Do you not see how worried he gets, how protective he is of you? Do you seriously not know why he didn’t want you to leave the house with him?” 

“I see it Will.” She mumbled, her tone almost offended that Will was suggesting she didn’t notice things. 

“He  _ loves you,  _ Max.” She shook her head. 

“No.” She whispered. “No he doesn’t.” 

“How do you not see it?” He exclaimed. “How do you not see what the rest of us-“ 

“He wouldn’t even say it back, Will!” She snapped, tears in her eyes as she turned toward him, her mouth hanging slightly open. “He  _ couldn’t  _ even say it back.” She whispered, wiping at her eyes, even though no tears had fallen, as if she was stopping it before it could start, finally admitting out loud what had been nagging at her for almost a week. 

Will stared at her in bewilderment, his eyes just a little wider. Neither Lucas or Max had ever admitted to him that they’d loved the other, but it wasn’t hard to see. 

The first time Lucas and Mike had decided to go out Max hadn’t necessarily objected, but she’d been hesitant about them leaving, saying that it was too dangerous, especially after Steve and the others had gone missing. 

She’d constantly watch out the window for them coming home, even after they’d just left. She’d asked Dustin questions when she thought no one else was listening, asking about attacks and where the boys were at, as if it interested her, but Will noticed the slight worry in her tone every time, she was just checking to make sure they were safe. 

He noticed when she’d pulled Lucas aside after they’d come home, away from everyone else, hugging him tightly, longer than she had when he and Mike had first walked through the front door. She had stood on her tip-toes, her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down toward her, whispering something to him. Will had watched as Lucas nodded, pulling her just a little bit closer, whispering back what probably was that everything was ok. He’d left them alone after that. 

Every time they’d left afterwards it seemed to get harder, not only for Max but for El too. 

“You told him?” He whispered, his voice almost a whisper. Max nodded, sniffling as she rubbed her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. 

“Not on purpose. It kinda just slipped out.” 

“When?” 

“Like a week ago, when we got in that fight. I told him I wouldn’t let him go alone because...because I love him and I can’t lose him too.” She leaned forward against her arms, running her hands through her hair. “I’m such an idiot.” 

Will reached out, putting his hand on her back. “You’re not an idiot.” He said, Max laughed. “Max I’m serious.” 

“I know. Sorry, continue.” 

“Maybe...maybe he wanted to say it but he just didn’t get the chance. You know how good Lucas is at hiding things.” 

“Yeah... _ maybe _ .” She echoed. She was already becoming sick of that word. “I’m being selfish, Lucas is hurt and I’m out here being a baby just because he didn’t say three stupid little words.” She stood up, making her way towards the door, but Will caught her arm from where he was still sitting on the steps.

“Wait. Where are you going?” He asked. 

“To see Lucas. I shouldn’t have even let in the first place.” She explained. 

“Dustin kicked everyone out for the night. You can’t see him right now.” He whispered, an apology written in his expression. As she looked down at him, her gaze shifted from him to her feet, shifting uncomfortably with his hand still holding onto her arm. There was no way he knew it was setting off alarms in her head, but she wouldn’t let him. Will wasn’t like Billy, or Neil. Not even close. She was just on edge because she’d trusted Lucas, and the Mind Flayer had taken advantage of that trust in him. 

“Can I see him tomorrow? First thing?” She asked. 

“Yeah, yeah I’ll make sure you do.” He promised, his hand loosening and falling from her arm. She nodded, sitting down next to him again, staring out into the dark world around them. 

“I should’ve noticed all the signs.” She whispered. 

“Max-“ 

“Please…don’t tell me it’s not my fault, Will, because I know that’s not true. I noticed something was different with him the day they came back and I didn’t say anything about it. I noticed him forgetting things and acting weird, but I didn’t say anything. He had a nightmare after he was attacked, but I don’t even know if he knew he had it. He didn’t wake up, but he was rolling around and mumbling something like “don’t hurt them”. I just whispered that he was ok, and he stopped, but I don’t know if he even realized.” 

Will swallowed, watching her intently, but she didn’t meet his gaze. “Can you tell me more about the trip?” He asked carefully. 

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before opening them again. She knew he wanted her to talk, and she knew she would have to. She looked up at him bravely. 

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Let’s just get it over with.” 

“If you don’t want to talk right now that’s ok. I won’t make you.” 

“I’d rather do it now than later. If Lucas’s life is on the line I’m not gonna be the one to put it in danger.” She insisted, her head dropped again at the last word, focusing on her hands in her lap instead of the world around her. It felt weird to say that out loud, it also scared her a little. 

Lucas’s  _ life _ was in danger. All because she hadn’t said anything. 

“How many times did you see the dogs?” Will asked, starting right away. 

“Five.” She answered automatically. “We literally saw them in the woods less than an hour after we left the first day, but they didn’t see us.” 

“What about the other times?” 

“We spent the night at Lucas’s, and the next morning there was a dog in the house, but we got out before it realized we were there. That same day, Lucas got attacked while we were searching a house.”

“But you didn’t get attacked?” 

“He was upstairs, I was downstairs.” She explained. “It was getting late and it was our last house. We wanted to finish searching the house as soon as possible, so we split up. 

Will nodded. “Was it alone? Or were there more?” 

“Yeah it was alone, it looked like a runt, and it was pretty beat up. I think the pack tried to kill it and left it to die. That’s what Lucas told me anyways.” 

“What about the other two times?” 

“The next day we found some...man in the forest-“ 

“A man?” He breathed, his eyes going just a little bit wider. There  _ were  _ no other people, as far as they knew. 

“Yeah, he was old, really old. His wife was dead, I saw the body. He started screaming and then Lucas was running and pulling me behind him and-“ she stopped, the memory replaying in her mind as clearly as watching a movie. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to tell Will all the important details. 

“He pushed me behind a tree, and the monster came almost immediately, we could hear it tearing the man apart. It didn’t see us though, thanks to Lucas. That’s why we started to come home, I told Lucas I didn’t want to go on anymore. For some reason he didn’t want me to tell you guys when Dustin called to check in. I guess that wasn’t really him, though. The Mindflayer probably was trying to make us stay or something.” 

“The man...wanted to die?” She nodded, continuing to look at her hands twisting together in her lap instead of looking up at him. 

“Yeah. His wife died so...I guess he decided he didn’t have anything to live for anymore.” 

Will took a deep breath, processing all this new information. “And the last one was this morning?” She nodded. 

“How’d it happen?”

“He woke up panicked, and said we had to leave right away. He didn’t tell me why. He just grabbed his stuff and started running. When I finally caught up to him I made him explain. He said they were coming for  _ me, _ and he wanted to get home before something bad happened.” 

“You?” 

“He didn’t know why, but right before we started to go again I heard something, that’s when they started attacking. There were like twenty of them, I swear. He had the seizure after we beat them all. I shouldn’t have stopped him. Now it’s  _ him _ that’s hurt instead of  _ me _ .” 

“Max.” Will said firmly, stopping her, watching her sadly. He hated seeing her put this much pressure on herself, but he knew him denying it wasn’t going to help, it would only make her feel more guilty. The best thing was just to be there for her. 

“Lucas is going to be ok.” He said softly, but with as much confidence as he could muster up, because as much as he was acting like this was only affecting Max, Lucas was still his best friend too. 

“We don’t know that.” She choked. “We don’t know anything. We’re alone, Will. There’s no one to help us this time.” 

He slid his arm across her shoulders, pulling her closer. She fell against his side, dropping her head to his shoulder, her gaze still focused on her hands in her lap. Exhaustion radiated off of her, exhaustion of carrying this regret and guilt for the past few days, the worry for Lucas, alone. He could see it slowly building up more and more with each shaky breath she let out, as she let reality finally sink in, leaning further into him each time. He couldn’t help but wonder if all she’d been thinking about for the last twelve hours was just different outcomes, what would’ve happened if she had just done even just one thing differently. 

“I don’t want to lose him.” She finally said, her voice barely a whisper, full of fear. “I  _ can’t. _ ” 

“I know.” He whispered back, squeezing her closer. “It’s gonna be ok.” 

“Ok.” Maybe it was wishful thinking, maybe she was desperate, but Will seemed so calm that she allowed herself to believe that Lucas would be ok, because she knew he was in good hands. 

He was safe now. 

—————————————————————

Max glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall, the two hands showing that it was just barely 11:45. She looked across the coffee table at El, who was asleep on the other couch, her blanket pulled tightly around her. 

The boys were all sleeping in Will’s room, which was the room that had all the mission supplies, and Lucas was still in Jonathan's room with all of Dustin’s and Will’s things. The boys had decided to let the girls be alone in case they wanted to talk, but Max guessed they all had to talk about something too. Probably Lucas. 

The only reason El was asleep now was because Max had said she didn’t want to talk, pretending to fall asleep right away. She knew El wouldn’t object, and she felt guilty about abusing that knowledge, but if she wanted her plan to work she had to follow through. 

“El.” She whispered, but her friend didn’t answer. Perfect. Everything was going according to plan...so far. 

Max sat up, slipping her feet out of the blanket and standing up, hesitating as the floorboards creaked under her feet in the quiet of the house. If she woke El up, this whole thing was game over. Her best friend would definitely question her, and she wanted to be alone for this. 

Moving slowly, she made her way past the second couch. As she stepped around it and made her way past the kitchen, El shifted, pulling the blanket further up over her shoulders, and Max froze, waiting, but the younger girl showed no other signs of waking up. 

Max let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding until now, continuing to make her way down the hallway, stopping in front of the first door. She looked up and down the hallway, before twisting the bedroom door knob all the way around, slowly pushing the door open. It made absolutely no sound as she slipped into the room, and she closed the door softly behind her. 

She left the lights off, the blue light from the computer screen lighting up just enough to allow her to see. It shined over Lucas, who was laying on his side, facing the doorway, facing her. She hadn’t really focused on the room when she’d been in here earlier, but now that she wasn’t panicking she was able to finally look around it.  
This had been Jonathan’s old room, but she could barley remember what it had looked like before. The bed was shoved into the corner, the chest of drawers against the opposite wall right next to the door. Dustin and Steve had made a desk out of some of the old wood in the backyard, and it was stretched out against the wall between the bed and drawers, full of computer monitors, camera equipment and various other electronics that the teens had managed to get from the AV room at the middle school. The curtains were constantly drawn, she knew that for a fact, making the room seem darker than it actually was. 

There was a box next to the desk, full of what looked like several sketchbooks and drawings of Will’s, but there were also a couple pages of notes spread out on the floor around the box. She felt drawn to them, knowing there was probably so much information she didn’t know about hidden inside, but she’d only come in here for one thing, so that’s what she would focus on. 

Her gaze wandered over to Lucas, really looking over him for the first time since they’d been home. Dustin and Will had changed him into new, clean clothes, so that he didn’t have to wear his ripped, bloody sweatshirt, and she had to admit he looked like he was in way better shape than he had that morning, his face clean and his clothes no longer torn up. 

He was wearing a black long sleeved shirt and sweatpants, his canvas jacket pulled on over the top. Will had sewed the rip up, because he knew it was Lucas’s favorite jacket, and Max felt a smile build on her face at the fact that it hadn’t been ruined. She knew it was dumb, but she’d seen him grow up with that jacket, it was getting small and too tight for him but it still reminded her of when she first met him, a foot shorter and half as brave as he was now, which was hard for her to believe, considering he’d put himself in between her and Billy that night he’d busted into the Byers house without warning. 

He was stretched out across the bed, laying on top of the covers, just like he had the day before, as if he had been too tired to crawl under them. There was a blanket folded at the end of the bed, and she guessed Dustin or Will had left it for him just in case, but she knew he wouldn’t get it himself, even if he  _ wasn’t  _ being controlled by an interdimensional monster. He was stubborn like that. 

Max pulled one of the boys’ office chairs across the room, sitting down next to the bed. It was almost strange to think she was sitting next to him while he slept, for the second night in a row, the only difference being this time she knew what was wrong. Yesterday, she hadn’t, and had saved her worrying until he was asleep, only being able to concentrate on how scared he’d looked when she’d found him, curled into a ball on the bathroom floor, yelling out like he was in pain. She realized now he probably had been. 

She reached out, running one of her hands through his jet black hair. The tight curls moved through her fingers fairly easily, and Lucas shifted. She rested her hand on the top of his head, leaning just a little closer. 

“Hey Stalker.” She whispered, a small smile forming on her face as she realized how peaceful he finally looked. 

“I just wanted to see you. They said you’re not in pain, so I guess that’s good. You seemed like you were hurting a lot before.” She didn’t find it weird that she was talking to him when it didn’t seem like he could hear her, not even a little. It felt...natural. Like he was just listening. He always listened. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more. I was just...scared. I was scared, and I didn’t know what to do.” She let out a breath. “Because I didn’t want to hurt you.” 

“Dustin and Will are gonna do everything they can to help you...but you have to  _ fight _ Lucas. You promised we’d get through this together, I  _ need _ you to follow through. Please. Even if you forget me, forget all of us, I can’t have you dying on me, ok?” Her hand trailed down the line of his hair, settling to rest against his cheek, her fingertips brushing his jaw. The corners of his lips twitched up into a small smile, instinctively sinking further into the bed at her touch, finally relaxing. 

“I love you Lucas.” She whispered, her gaze dropping just a little. She hadn’t said that since their fight, but she wished she had. After her conversation with Will she’d been thinking, and she realized she should’ve said it a lot sooner, even if he still hadn’t said it back to her then too. She wasn’t even sure he’d heard her the first time, but she would say it as many times as it took, just for him to wake up. 

“Ma-ax?” He mumbled. She looked up at him hopefully, but he was still asleep, his eyes still closed, his breathing pattern unchanging, but he knew she was here. She ran her fingers through his hair again. 

“I’m here Luke.” She smiled. “Right here.” His hand twitched, bumping hers where it rested beside him on the bed. She took it, lacing her fingers through his. 

“You’re gonna be ok.” She whispered. “Dustin and Will are gonna take care of you, and I’ll be here the whole time. Ok?” She didn’t expect a response, but his hand tightened around hers, ever so slightly, and it made her wonder if he really could hear her. 

“Ok.” She smiled, answering for him, letting him know she understood, just in case. 

She slowly, but steadily, ran her fingers through his hair again, gently, carefully. His hair was surprisingly softer than she’d thought it would be after days in the woods, and she took advantage of being able to mess with it. Lucas never let her play with his hair, except sometimes, like when they were watching a movie, and he was on the floor in front of her while she was on the couch, or when she’d bet him she could braid the longer strands of it, just to see if she could. She knew he secretly didn’t mind it, he wasn’t as good at hiding things as Will thought, but his friends were all guys, so he had to act like he hated it. It made her laugh a little, because it didn’t offend her, but it was funny to tease him about it instead. 

She looked down at their intertwined hands, lifting them up a little more. The bluish-silver light from the computer was casting a glowing haze over Lucas, highlighting his hands as she ran her fingers across his and traced the lines on his palm with her index finger. Her touch was gentle, soft, so that she didn’t startle him, and she started to get lost in her own thoughts, continuing to play with his fingers absentmindedly, like this was just normal, he was just asleep, but okay, and she didn’t have to worry about him. 

She focused on the quiet of the house, realizing for the first time that it was quieter than she’d ever heard it before. She wondered if it was different here in Jonathan’s room than out in the living room. Her and El always seemed to hear things out there, but maybe it was just the paranoia getting to them. She’d seen what was out there now, she knew what to expect, so the unknown about what lay in the outside world didn’t freak her out as much now. 

Lucas’s watch beeped, making her jump as the sound seemed louder in the silence than it actually was. She tilted her head a little to look at the glowing numbers, which told her that it was just barely midnight. It felt early, considering her and Lucas hadn’t been able to even get to a place to sleep before then all week, but everyone else at the house had split off right after ten-thirty, for all she knew the boys were still awake. She or Lucas had never managed to fall asleep right away, and taking watches didn’t help the schedule either, considering it seemed she would just barely fall asleep before Lucas woke her up again, or vice versa. 

With him here sleeping now, she felt like she needed to stay awake, like she needed to make sure nothing attacked them. She needed to protect him. She didn’t realize that going on a mission could heighten all your senses so strongly, she now understood why Lucas hadn’t wanted to put anyone else in danger. 

Glancing over at the camera monitors, she saw that there was nothing but the outdoors around the house. Lucas had been right, the dogs wouldn’t get past the security Dustin and Will had installed. She was safe here.  _ He  _ was safe here. Her gaze followed the line of different cameras, landing on one that was isolated from the others. She immediately recognized it as the store she and Lucas had been at, the one Dustin had told them he’d pinned so that they could keep an eye on it. 

She pulled her hand away from Lucas’ and rolled the chair across the carpet and over to the desk, sliding into place in front of the computer as a dark shape came into view. It moved slowly, the muscles in its back shifting each time it moved. She swallowed, leaning closer to the screen to get a better look at the demodog. It was limping, hurt, but it didn’t look as bad as any after they had attacked them that morning, it was almost as if there was something else attacking them, or maybe they were just all turning on eachother. Her heart beat sped up as she remembered Lucas’s words: 

“ _ What if this is the way out?”  _

If people could get  _ out  _ that also meant they could get  _ in,  _ what if  _ someone else _ was the one responsible for hurting all these dogs? Steve? Nancy? Jonathan? What if their families were trying to find them? 

She slid the mouse across the computer screen, which brightened a little at the movement, and clicked on the tab that had the store camera. It slid into full view, and she rewinded the footage like she’d seen Dustin do before, sliding the mouse along the bottom of the screen. She checked back from sunrise to midnight, watching it at fast speed, each hour ticking away quickly, but the dog she’d just seen was the only one that had gotten near the store all day, and there was no sign of anybody else wandering around that area. 

Her heart dropped, and she swallowed down the excitement that had been there just a moment earlier. It was a good theory, but Lucas had been wrong. There was no way out, they were stuck here, alone. It might never end, and they’d all end up living the rest of their lives here, probably dying before they got too far. 

She sensed movement before she heard it, and she quickly turned back to Lucas’s sleeping form. He was rolling around, breathing heavily, his head rocking back and forth, as if he was trying to shake something off. She pushed away from the desk, rolling the chair back beside the bed.

“Hey. Shhhh.” She whispered, setting her hand on his shoulder, slowly trailing it down to the crook of his arm. He stopped moving, but his face scrunched up in annoyance still, and it took her a moment to notice the beads of sweat on his forehead, slowly making their way down his brow. “It’s okay.” She whispered. 

Reaching a hand out, she set it against his forehead, he was warm, hot even, and she wondered if he was hurting again, or having another nightmare. Either way, he was burning up. Fast. 

She stood up, carefully peeling off his canvas jacket, slowly, because she couldn’t move him very well, leaving him in his long sleeved shirt. She threw the tan jacket over the top of the chair, reaching to the end of the bed to pull the blanket on over him instead, where he immediately relaxed, settling underneath it. Max reached out, wiping his forehead off with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, he shifted away from her a little bit, but it didn’t seem like anything was bothering him anymore. 

“Goodnight, Lucas.” She whispered, leaning down and gently placing a kiss on his cheek. As she pulled away she thought she saw him tilt his head up toward her, just slightly, but she told herself she’d just imagined it and decided to drop the idea. She pulled away, her hand rubbing up his arm and over his shoulder as she did, and suddenly she didn’t want to leave again. He just seemed so helpless in here by himself, and lonely. She didn’t see why she couldn’t just stay here and keep him company. 

_ Because you’ll snoop around.  _ She thought to herself.  _ Just like you did. You’re not supposed to be looking at the cameras and you weren’t even supposed to come in here until morning. You’re lying, and friends don’t lie.  _

She let out a breath and stood up, turning to leave, but as she did something caught her eye. A piece of paper, just barely sticking out of the side pocket of the jacket laying over the chair. She reached for it, carefully pulling out a small envelope. She flipped it over, and the three letters written on the front made her heart drop: 

Max

—————————————————————

“Max.” A voice said, sounding far away. “Max.” 

“Lucas?” She whispered, though she wasn’t sure if the words had really come out, her throat felt constricted, as if something wasn’t allowing her to fully speak. 

“Max.” The voice spoke again. It  _ was _ Lucas. Wasn’t it?

“Max!” She opened her eyes, propping herself up on her elbows a little, seeing El standing over her, her hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. 

Her heart sunk a little, her shoulders dropping in disappointment as she looked up at her friend, falling back into the couch. 

“Hey. Sorry, didn’t mean to freak you out.” El said. 

“No, no it’s fine.” She said, rubbing at her bleary eyes. “What’s up?” 

“The boys made breakfast. I let you sleep a little, but I figured you’d want to eat before Dustin takes all the bacon.” 

Max laughed, sitting up again. “You’re sure it’s even edible? I mean if the boys made it…” El huffed a laugh, biting down on her lip to control herself. 

“I helped, so hopefully it’s not...too bad.” She shrugged. 

Max laughed too, sitting up. “Thanks. I’ll be there in a little bit.” 

“Ok.” El said, sounding almost disappointed as she started walking back toward the direction of the kitchen, her steps slower, almost dragging her feet, as if she was thinking of something, but before she could get there she’d turned around again. 

“Max?” She said nervously. 

“Yeah?” 

“You-you know you can talk to me if you need to, right?” She asked, almost hesitant to say what she wanted, like she expected to get pushed away. Max didn’t blame her, it was a bad habit. 

“Yeah. I know. Yesterday was just...I had a lot going through my head.” Max said, giving her friend a small smile. “You’re my best friend. Of course I trust you.” She reassured. 

El smiled, nodding. “Ok. Just remember that I’m here for you Max.” 

“I will.” El’s smile widened, before she disappeared into the kitchen, where Max could hear what sounded like several voices, though in reality she knew there were only three, all talking over each other, sounding as if they were arguing about something unimportant. 

She sat up a little more, pushing the blanket off of her and pulling the small envelope out of her front sweatshirt pocket, rolling it over in her hands. She brushed her fingers over Lucas’s handwriting, which she could still recognize even though all he’d written was her name. She’d been too nervous to open it the night before, had even dreamed about opening it, only to wake up before the sun had even come up to find out she hadn’t, and the mystery of what was inside still remained. 

She took a deep breath, flipping the envelope over and reaching to open it, but as she did the boys laughed at something in the kitchen, making her jump, her hand pulling back from it. The sudden thought that one of her friends could walk back into the living room and see her reading it dawned on her, and she didn’t want that. She stood up, shoving the envelope back into her pocket and making her way down the hall, being sure to avoid eye contact as she passed the kitchen, even when she heard them get quieter as she passed. 

She opened and closed the bathroom door, just to give them an idea of what she was doing, so that they wouldn’t question her, before slipping into the bedroom next to the bathroom. 

It was Joyce’s room, and it was the only room in the house that hadn’t been turned into anything else. Will had decided he wanted to have one place where everything was the same, and no one had disagreed. They’d put a few things in here, a box of Jonathan’s stuff lay in the corner, just so it wouldn’t get ruined, but nothing had really changed. No one ever came in here, so Max didn’t worry that someone would walk in on her reading the letter. 

She sat down on the bed, ripping the envelope open. Her heart beat sped up as she pulled out a single sheet of paper, and she noticed it as the stationary from Lucas’s desk. 

Had he written this the first night, and hadn’t given it to her the whole time they’d been on the trip? Was she even supposed to be reading this right now? 

She swallowed back the guilt she felt, forcing herself to unfold the paper as she read the short message Lucas had written. It was definitely his handwriting, but it was shaky and messy, as if he was in a hurry. 

,Max,

I know what you’ll think after reading this and I know, it’s, hard but I need you to trust me. I’ve been acting differently lately and I know you’ve noticed it too. I just feel so angry all the time and I’ve been having, a different reaction, than normal. You know I’d never hurt you but he’s making me do it. I don’t even remember our fight very well but I do remember one thing and I love you too. I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to control him long enough to say it back. I‘m going to get you home but then I need to leave. To protect you. I’d never do it willingly but I’ve put a lot of thought into this. If he manages to take control and I don’t make it away I need you to do something for me. If you really love me Max, please kill, me before, it, hurts anyone else. I’m sorry I couldn’t do better but,

h̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶s̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶l̶d̶ it’s cold,. 

I love you. I’m sorry. 

Lucas 

She choked, tears building as she dropped the letter beside her on the bed, leaning forward against her knees, she couldn’t breathe again, last night's panic attack happening all over. She squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face in her hands as her mind focused on just four little words:  _ Max, please kill me.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not mean for this to be 7k words, I really need someone to edit this thing before I post it.  
> I kinda fell behind so if I don’t finish the next chapter before I need to post it Friday I’ll be posting it Tuesday instead.  
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	10. Promise

Mike looked down at his watch, noticing El glance anxiously at him as he did. 

“Hey, where’s Max?” He asked, interrupting Will and Dustin’s argument about whether pancakes or waffles were better. “She went into the bathroom like, twenty minutes ago.” 

“Dude,  _ never _ question why girls take so long in the bathroom, I asked my mom one time and she got like...offended.” Will said, the corners of his lips turning up into a slight smirk as he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

“Yeah, well whatever’s the reason is she better hurry up, or I  _ will  _ eat these pancakes.  _ Which are better than waffles by the way.”  _ Dustin said, turning towards Will at the last sentence. 

“Ok!” Will said, slamming his fork into the table and turning toward him as the two of them began to talk over each other again, hardly even listening to the others' argument. 

Mike caught Dustin saying something like: “Waffles are just  _ pancakes  _ with  _ abs.  _ Girls dig dad bods anyways.” 

“What!” Will exclaimed. “First of all, that’s not even true! And second of all, how did you manage to bring girls into this? Of all things!” Mike glanced at El, who rolled her eyes, before standing up, the two boys automatically silencing as they turned to look up at her. 

“I think somethings wrong. Will, you talked to her last night, she’s  _ scared _ . She obviously not doing okay and neither is Lucas-“ 

“Lucas  _ will be  _ fine.” Dustin interrupted. “Will and I know what we’re doing. He’ll be fine.” 

“Do you actually even know what’s wrong with him?” Mike spoke up, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned back in his chair. 

“Uh, yeah. He got attacked by demodog. Duh.” Dustin said, Will kicked him under the table. 

“Ow!” 

“You’re right El. We should check on her, make sure she’s okay.” Will said, Dustin nodded along, realizing this probably wasn’t the time to joke around. 

El gave her brother a small smile, before walking out of the kitchen and down the hallway, the boys close on her heels. She made her way to the bathroom, knocking softly on the wooden door, the boys hanging back just a little. 

“Max? You ok in there?” She asked, knocking again when there was no answer. “Max?” 

“Is she even in there?” Mike asked. El looked back at him, seeing that he looked genuinely worried. 

“I don’t think so.” She whispered. “Doors unlocked.” She said, wiggling the door handle just to prove her point.

“And it doesn’t look like the lights are on.” She added, gesturing to the crack under the door, where there would usually be light leaking out into the hallway. 

“Well where else would she go?” Dustin asked. 

“To see Lucas.” Will said, his eyes lighting up as he remembered. “I told her she could see him first thing this morning, maybe she’s in there.” The three of them nodded in agreement, starting to move back down the hall, El running ahead of the boys. 

Mike started to move, but as he did, he swore he heard the faintest sound coming from Joyce’s room beside the bathroom, which was odd, because no one ever went in that bedroom. 

His eyebrows knit together in confusion, but he carefully moved toward the door, listening. When he didn’t hear anything else he quickly dismissed the thought, leaning away from the door and continuing to follow where his friends had gone.

As soon as he’d taken a step however, he was  _ sure _ he heard what sounded like a sniffle. 

Taking a breath, he stepped in front of the door again, knocking softly against the wood. “Max?” He asked. There was no answer, but somehow he knew she  _ had _ to be in this room. There was no way she wasn’t. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he did. 

He contemplated going to get the others, but he knew if whatever had happened was enough to make Max  _ cry _ , she needed someone there ASAP. 

Without really thinking, he pushed the door open, stepping over the threshold to reveal Max sitting on the bed in the middle of the room. Her head snapped up to look at him as the door opened, and he got a glance at just how red and puffy her eyes were, before she ducked her head again, furiously wiping at her eyes. 

They weren’t the best friends of the group, they fought constantly, and they acted more like siblings than anything, but Mike knew Max well enough. She didn’t cry, hardly ever. He’d only seen her cry once, and it had been after Billy had died that one fateful Fourth of July at the mall. Although he never really understood why it had hurt her so strongly, after all he’d seen and heard about Billy, he knew not to push or make fun of her for it. He didn’t  _ hate  _ her after all, they were still friends. 

Shutting the door behind him, he slipped into the room, crossing over to the bed and kneeling in front of her, his hand moving to rest gingerly on her knee. She didn’t flinch away, which surprised him, he had half expected her to brush him off, to tell him to leave her alone and that she was fine but she didn’t. Instead she continued to avoid his eyes, her gaze still focused solely on her hands in her lap, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. 

He remembered what Will had told him and Dustin the night before, she’d been a little shaken up but hadn’t cried, being able to hold her emotions back well enough for what she had just seen and experienced. Now, however, Mike was not seeing that same version of Max Will had described. This  _ had  _ to be about Lucas. There was nothing else it could be. 

“Hey.” He whispered. “What’s going on?” 

She took a shaky breath, but her gaze wouldn’t shift to meet his, remaining glued to her hands in her lap. 

“This is all my fault.” She whispered, her words watery and strained. “It’s my fault and it’s too late for me to fix it.” 

“What’s all your fault?” He asked gently. 

“Everything.” She choked out. “It’s my fault I couldn’t save Billy. My mom leaving me was my fault and now Lucas is going to die and that’ll be my fault too.” 

“Lucas is not going to die.” He said firmly. “He’s gonna be ok. Dustin and Will-“ 

“Can you promise that?” She asked, swallowing as she finally looked up at him, her eyes locking into his, watery and scared. Mike opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. 

“Mike, please just promise.” She whispered, a single tear running down her already wet cheeks.

He swallowed, breaking eye contact with her. “I can’t.” 

“If you promise that makes it true. Please.” She begged. “I trust you, Mike.” 

“I can’t. I can’t promise that.” He said, his voice rising a little with his frustration. 

She couldn’t just expect him to magically fix everything by promising, or by promising her something that she  _ knew _ he couldn’t control. He didn’t have a superpower like El. If he did he would’ve helped Lucas the second they’d gotten home yesterday morning. 

His  _ best friend  _ was hurt. What did she not understand? How could she not see that he wanted to do  _ everything _ he possibly could to help, but he was just barely recovering and wasn’t very skilled with what Lucas needed? If she was so worried about it, why hadn’t she just…

Mike was suddenly struck with the thought that Max  _ had been _ there. She’d seen the attack happen and had tried _ so hard _ to help him. Lucas to her was the equivalent of El to him. She would do literally anything she could to help him. Will said she was blaming  _ everything _ on herself. It wasn’t fair of him to blame her too. He looked up at her, only to find that she’d turned away again. Was she? Pissed? Hurt? Upset? He instantly regretted raising his voice, knowing she already had enough going on without him making it worse.

Like he always did.

“Sorry.” He whispered. “I’m not mad at you.” 

“Yeah you are. I always manage to make you mad at me. I don’t even have to try anymore.” 

“I’m not. Really. I’m just frustrated and stressed with everything going on and I know you are too. I’m not making it any better. I’m sorry.” She shook her head, mumbling that it was fine, even though he knew that it wasn’t. He watched her sadly, fiddling with a loose thread on her sweatshirt sleeve, trying to think of something to say to her to make her feel better, but before he could she beat him to it. 

“How does he expect me to kill him.” Mike felt his heart drop, his eyes widening slightly, suddenly alarmed.  _ Kill him? _

“What?” She looked up at him, sighing as she wiped at her eyes. 

“I found a note.” She explained. 

“A note?” He asked. She nodded. “A note telling you to kill him?” She hesitated for a moment, as if deciding if she should tell him or not, before twisting around to grab a piece of paper from behind her on the bed, holding it out to him. 

“Just read.” She said simply. He felt his eyebrows press together in confusion, but he took it, reading over the short letter Lucas had written. It didn’t make any sense. The sentences were all over the place, sounding rushed, and he felt himself re-reading over them just to see if he’d read it right. He couldn’t seem to focus on what Max was so concerned about. 

“Why do you look so confused?” Max whispered when he’d finished, still studying the paper intently. He looked up at her, shaking his head, before looking back at the words on the white sheet. 

“Nothing it’s just...what’s with all the random commas everywhere?” Max gaped at him, looking angry. 

“Seriously, Mike? That’s what you’re concerned about?” She exclaimed. “Everything in that letter and all you’re worried about is the punctuation? He’s your best friend-” 

“No, no sorry that’s not important, you’re right.” He said, waving his hand, trying to focus on something else in the letter that could possibly be good, how he could fix yet another mistake of upsetting her. “But...he said he loves you, that’s good right?” 

She shook her head, letting out a breathy laugh. “Are we not reading the same thing? He told me he wants me to. Kill. Him. Mike. How in the world does he expect me to do that? I don’t want to lose him and he’s telling me I have to  _ force myself  _ to lose him and I don’t even know if that was actually him or if the Mind Flayer made him write it or something but-“ she paused, her breathing becoming scarily erratic as a fresh round of tears started to flow. 

“I’m so, so scared Mike and...I don’t know what to do.” She whispered, the panic and fear in her eyes clearly visible now. She’d gone from gesturing with her hands to now starting to fold in on herself, as if trying to make herself as small as possible. 

“Max…” Mike whispered, noticing how she was on the verge of breaking down, of exploding. She was shaking, her eyes full of panic and anxiety. Her breathing was quickening, as if it wasn’t fast enough already. She squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to stop the tears, wrapping her arms around her herself. 

“I-I can’t…I can't.” She started, but more tears were flowing and Mike knew she couldn’t breathe. He’d never seen her so scared before. 

“C’mere.” He whispered, standing up and pulling her up by her hands as she all but melted into him, clinging to him tightly as she buried her face into his chest. He was practically holding her up, sobbing in a way he’d never seen before. He could feel how scared she actually was just by how close and tightly she was holding onto him, as if begging him to stay. 

He’d never hugged her before. Never. Because Lucas or El was always there to comfort her when she needed it, and the two of them weren’t very good with feelings and comfort. Especially with each other. His arms were wrapped around her awkwardly, his body tense, but Max didn’t seem to notice, holding onto him as if she was glad someone was finally doing so. 

“Mike she wasn’t-“ El said, appearing in the doorway, freezing as she caught sight of her best friend. “Max?” 

She looked at Mike for an explanation, but he just shook his head, before turning back to the girl crying in his arms, whispering that everything was ok, over and over until it was just a background noise over her crying, a subtle reminder that she wasn’t alone anymore. 

El didn’t waste any time, moving quickly into the room, taking Mike's spot and pulling her best friend into her arms. 

“El.” Max whimpered, pulling her impossibly closer, sinking into her more comfortably than she had with Mike. “Please don’t go. I need you now.” 

“It’s ok Max. I’m here. It’s ok.” El whispered. “I’m right here.” 

Max sniffled, burying her face into her friend's shoulder, her arms locking behind her. “I can’t do this alone anymore.” 

Mike glanced at Will and Dustin as they appeared in the doorway, and the three of them shared a look that seemed to say the same thing. 

They couldn’t lose Lucas. 

—————————————————————

Max turned over the small bracelet in her hand, re-reading over the words engraved into the small strip of leather for the umpteenth time. She pushed her feet down against the concrete, rocking herself from where she sat on the porch swing. 

Somehow, she always seemed to end up here. Outside. Alone, until someone else decided she was probably ready to talk. She didn’t really want to talk about it anymore, honestly, she didn’t know why she was freaking out so much or why she couldn’t control her emotions. She wasn’t normally like this and she knew that, but whenever something new happened, it was as if her brain shut off, only resorting to panic instead of logic. 

The front door opened, and Max looked up as El stepped out onto the porch, zipping up her jacket as she stepped out into the chilly morning air. Until now Max hadn’t really realized how cold it was, and now she wished she would’ve put on a jacket, or at least something warmer than her sleep shorts and a t-shirt. 

“Hi.” El said, giving Max a tight smile as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her zip up. 

“Hey.” She spoke, her voice raw and hoarse from crying. It’d been almost an hour, yet her throat still felt dry and constricted. 

“Can I...sit with you?” El hesitated. Max nodded, looking down at her hands as she continued to roll the bracelet between her fingers. 

She felt El sit down next to her, their shoulders pressed together on the small swing. 

“What’s that?” El asked, gesturing to the small object.

“Just a bracelet. Nothing important.” 

“It seems important.” El teased. “I’ve never seen you wear it before. Did Lucas give it to you?” 

“No.” She laughed. “My dad did.” The answer seemed to take El by surprise, because Max never talked about her dad. It was something she’d left behind with California. “It was in the box of pictures Lucas brought from my house. It’s stupid, I know.” 

“No, not stupid.” El insisted, lifting up her own wrist to show Max the bright blue hair band. “I have one too.” Max smiled. 

“Yeah but, yours was from Hopper. He wore it all the time, so it’s special.” 

“Yours can be special too.” El said. “Does it remind you of your dad too? Was he cool? 

“Yeah.” Max agreed, answering both questions, a smile building on her face as she thought about her dad. His stupid jokes and puzzles. His ability to be friends with literally anyone and everyone. Letting her stay in the apartment while they drank Dr Pepper and ate pizza right out of the box, watching the reruns on tv until the test pattern came on. He was the one to buy her her first skateboard and would take her to the skatepark whenever she wanted to, back when her parents had still been together. She missed him. She hadn’t talked to him since she’d moved. “He was awesome. You’d like him, he’d think you were cool too.” 

“Can I ask you something?” El asked after a moment of silence. 

“You just did.” Max teased, looking up at her friend. El gave her a look, annoyed, but in a joking way, and Max laughed. “Go ahead.” 

“If your dad was so awesome, and he cared about you, why'd you move to Hawkins? Away from him?” 

Max felt herself tense, her fingers quit moving as she held tighter onto the bracelet in her hands. She didn’t really like talking about this, but El deserved to know. They were best friends, and friends didn’t keep secrets. 

“Do you know what a divorce is?” She asked. El shook her head. 

“Hopper told me one time, but I forgot.” 

“It’s when two married people decide they don’t love each other anymore, so they decide they won’t be married anymore.”

“Oh.” El said sadly. “So like when you dumped Lucas? Was that a divorce?” Max laughed, looking over at her friend. 

“No that’s different. We’re not married.” 

“Are Mike and I married?” She asked, her eyes going wider. 

“Not  _ yet _ .” Max said, holding back a laugh as she realized how deadly serious El looked. 

“We  _ will  _ be married?” 

“Most likely.” 

“So that means you and Lucas will be.” El said matter-of-factly. Max opened and closed her mouth to answer, but found no words, her stomach feeling suddenly empty, as if someone had punched her. She didn’t want to have this conversation, not now, not ever, but she knew El didn’t know any better. 

“I don’t know.” She admitted. “I don’t want to think that far ahead. It scares me.” She shifted uncomfortably on the swing, squeezing the object in her hands a little tighter as she focused her gaze across the porch in front of her. El seemed to realize she’d crossed a line, quickly trying to change the subject. 

“So. Um. Why’d your dad get you the bracelet?” She asked, bringing Max’s attention back to her. 

“Oh. Well, he got it for me when I was really little. We were at the beach and I wanted to learn to surf, but I was too scared to go in the deep water. He got it at one of the gift stands on the boardwalk, and told me that whenever I got scared I could remember to be brave.” 

“So that’s why you have it now? To remember to be brave?” Max nodded, giving her friend a tight smile. 

“Yeah. For Lucas.” She said. “He told me the same thing. To be brave when I’m at home, and to remember that he’s always there if I need him.” El looked at her sadly, as if trying to decide what to say, without making her friend feel uncomfortable. 

“I’m sorry, Max.” She finally settled on. Max nodded, slipping the bracelet over her wrist. 

“It’s ok. We’ll figure it out. He’ll be fine.” She said confidently. 

“But aren’t you scared?” El asked, her voice hushed. 

“Not anymore. If we’ve done it once, we can do it again. We’re not giving up on him.” El smiled. 

“What does it say?” She asked, reaching for Max's wrist, turning the bracelet toward her, three simple words were engraved onto the leather, but El knew they held more meaning then they let on. 

“Seize...the...moment?” She read. Max nodded. “What does that mean?” 

“ It kinda means just go do it. Don’t be scared.” 

“Cool.” El said. Max opened her mouth to reply, but as she did the front door burst open, and Mike appeared in the doorway. 

“Max it’s Lucas.” He said, panting. “His heart rate’s skyrocketing.” 

—————————————————————

Max made it to the room in no less than ten seconds, leaving Mike and El behind. She now stood in the doorway, watching as Lucas had what looked like another episode, thrashing around on the bed and grunting like he was in pain, the only difference being that he was still asleep this time. 

“What’s going on?” She asked, walking over to where Dustin was leaning against the desk, Will sitting in the chair at the computer. 

“I’m not sure. One minute he was fine and the next he started almost...panicking.” Dustin explained. 

“This looks like the same thing that happened after the attack.” She said. 

“It kinda is. I’m wondering if this is an episode. Did anything like this happen before the attack?” Will asked. 

“No. No seizures. He did start freaking out the night before we came back though. He was in the bathroom for like an hour and started screaming. When I found him he had no idea what happened and claimed he’d only been in there for like five minutes.” 

“Mind Flayer makes you lose track of time.” Will stated, rolling the chair over to the makeshift heart monitor at the foot of the bed. “His resting heart rate is around 70. Even for exercising he shouldn’t even get past 140. Right now he’s at 173 and still going.” 

“Well, how do we make it stop?” Max asked. 

“I don’t know.” Will said, shaking his head. “He’s in a panic.” 

“We need to get him to stop freaking out.” Dustin said. “I don’t think that’ll solve everything but it might bring his heart rate back down to a more normal level.” 

Max thought back to the night before, when she’d visited him, remembering how he started to panic when she’d gone over to the computers, but automatically relaxed when she’d come back. If he still knew she was there…

“I have an idea.” She said, grabbing the second chair from the desk and rolling it over to the side of the bed. The two boys watched hesitantly, not knowing what to expect. 

“Lucas.” She whispered, reaching out to set her hand on his arm. “It’s me. It’s Max.” He let out a breath, and stopped thrashing around, but his heart rate didn’t slow down. 

“I’m right here. It’s ok. Just...calm down. We want to help you.” Lucas rolled over, curling up to the side of the bed, his hand slipping into hers, trying to pull her closer. The beeping of the monitor slowed, just slightly. 

“He knows she’s here.” Will said in awe. “That’s why he wasn’t waking up during the episode. Lucas is stronger than I was. He still has control of himself, he knows he can’t wake up and let him spy, but when he starts to panic-.” 

“He knows when it’s her. He put himself in some kind of coma, so that the Mind Flayer couldn’t spy.” Dustin said, catching on. “Max, let go of his hand for a second.” 

Max did as he said, pulling away and rolling the chair back. Almost immediately, the monitor started to beep faster, his heart rate going up five extra, bringing him up to 180. His eyebrows furrowed together in what looked like either confusion or worry, his hand twitched, as if trying to find hers. 

“Ok go back.” Max rolled back to the side of the bed, whispering gently as she ran her hands through Lucas’s hair.

“It’s ok. I’m here. Right here. It’s ok.” 

His heart rate slowed again, bringing him back down to 172.

“He definitely knows.” Will laughed in amazement. “Stay there a little longer, Max. I think the Mind Flayer having control was just boosting his heart rate more than usual when he panicked.” She didn’t argue, continuing to run her hands through his hair like she had the night before. They were getting somewhere, she could feel it. They were so close. She wanted to whisper to Lucas and tell him that she knew they were close, but instead she decided to wait until he had calmed down a little more, until she knew he could hear her, instead continuing to talk to Will and Dustin. 

“Have you tested the blood?” She asked, looking up at the two of them. 

“Yeah. We tried experimenting with heat to see if the poison reacted, but there was nothing more than it getting hotter.” Will said. 

“The dogs reacted to fire.” She said. “That has to have  _ some  _ significance.” 

“The dogs may react, but the poison is different. We just have to find out what it is.” She nodded. 

“What if Lucas could tell us?” 

“How? He’s not going to wake up.” Dustin said. “If he’s slipped himself into a coma the only person that can make him wake up is him.” 

“We just have to find a way to get him to wake himself up, and if he doesn’t remember anyone we’re going to have to  _ make _ him remember, like Will’s mom did.” 

“But when I remembered, I knew where I was. I sent the dogs. As soon as he’s back to himself again, the Mind Flayer can spy.” Will reminded her. 

“Then we’ll have to disguise it again. Plus, if I’m the only one there, he won’t have any way to know. I was the last one with him, for all he knows, if no one else is there we could be literally anywhere in the city.” 

“But what if he attacks you?” Dustin asked. 

“He wouldn’t.” 

“ _ Lucas  _ wouldn’t. But the  _ Mind Flayer  _ would. He doesn’t care who gets hurt, even if they’re the person they love most. I hurt my  _ mom _ , Max. We can’t let that happen again.” Will said. 

“We won’t.” She said, shaking her head. “I have a plan.” The two boys looked at her carefully, as if looking at every possible angle. They couldn’t afford to have another one of them get hurt, not when they were so close to finding a way out. 

“Will.” Max started softly. “Your mom did everything she could to save you. If we don’t do the same thing...we could lose him.” 

The two boys looked at eachother, and Will nodded. “You find a way to wake him up, and we’ll find a place for you.” She smiled, relief washing over her. 

Suddenly the radio crackled to life, an indistinct voice trying to come through. The three of them exchanged glances, Dustin moving to sit in the chair, rolling it over to the desk as he started to adjust the frequency. 

“Mike! El! Radio!” Will called, the sounds of footsteps echoing down the hall as the two ran into the room. 

“Who is it?” Mike asked, El appearing in the doorway beside him. 

“We don’t know.” Will said. Dustin found a frequency, the radio blaring at full volume to reveal the person trying to contact them, the voice they’d all been waiting to hear from for almost two months echoing around in their minds. 

“This is Harrington reporting to base, do you copy? Repeat. This Harrington reporting to base. Do you copy? We’ve escaped. We found your families. We’re coming back for you. I repeat. Do. You. Copy?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there was no chapter Friday, I’ve fallen behind with my writing and I’m trying to make sure I get everything in this last bit of the story. I may post Friday I may not, just depending on where the chapter is.  
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	11. The Plan

“Dustin! I found something!” Max called from where she was sitting at the kitchen table, a medical book spread out in front of her. 

“What is it?” Dustin asked, coming into the kitchen through the back door, wiping his hands on his jacket as he sat down at the table next to her, the screen door shutting loudly behind him. 

“Well, this says you can’t wake someone up from a coma, which we already knew, but they can usually still hear—” 

“Which we’ve seen with Lucas. He can hear you.” 

“Yeah exactly. But it says here that there’s signs to them waking up: “Signs of coming out of a coma include being able to keep their eyes open for longer and longer periods of time and being awakened from “sleep” easier—at first by pain (pinch), then by touch (like gently shaking of their shoulder), and finally by sound (calling their name).” Her fingers traced along the words as she read them. “He’s been reacting for awhile. We just need to get him out of that “sleep” stage. He could wake up at any time.” 

“To be perfectly honest with you.” Dustin started. “I’m almost positive it’s not even really a coma, I think that other than when he’s actually asleep, he's not sleeping. He’s fully awake just...not. I don’t know how else to explain it but, he was reacting when Will went in there this morning, we think that he probably thought it was you. There could still be a way that we can force him to wake up, there has to be. Usually comas are caused by traumatic brain injuries, and he didn’t hit his head when he was having a seizure…” He stopped, looking at her hesitantly. “Did he?” 

“No. The  _ one _ thing I was able to do after the initial shock was putting my jacket under his head so that he didn’t. After that I was just, frozen until you guys came.” She said. “But you’re right. We need to find out if there’s a way to wake him up. Soon. Steve could be here any day.” 

“Then we’d better get this thing ready.” Dustin said, standing up again. “You could try talking to him, tell him he  _ needs  _ to wake up if nothing else works.” 

Max nodded, her gaze wandering over his shoulder and out the kitchen window to the backyard, where El, Will and Mike were busy clearing out the shed, their clothes covered in dirt, mud and some weird kind of moss they’d found growing on the inside. 

“You really think you can get that shed transformed in time?” She asked, a slight laughter in her tone that he hadn’t heard for the longest time. He recognized it: hope. It was there, subtle, but there. 

“Oh  _ definitely _ . Don’t worry about us. You work on Lucas. We’ll get this done.” She nodded, giving him a smile, which he returned, as he went outside again, the screen door slamming shut behind him. 

Max stood up, feeling her feet automatically moving her out of the kitchen and toward Jonathan’s room like she had several times before, but her mind was focused on other things. Specifically Steve’s call to them less than twenty four hours ago. 

“ _ Steve we copy! Over.”  _ Dustin had replied, almost instantly, an excitement floating around the room as they all exchanged exasperated glances with one another. 

_ “Dustin! Are you all ok? Over.”  _

_ “We’re fine. Lucas is having some problems but…”  _ Dustin’s words faded, his eyes meeting Max’s, who smiled, giving him a small nod.  _ “Yeah, yeah he’ll be fine. Over.”  _

_ “You sure? You hesitated. Over.”  _ Steve said, sounding unsure. 

_ “Yeah. We’re figuring it all out but we’re onto something. He’ll be ok. Max is staying with him too, so he’s in good hands. Over.”  _

_ “Ok. We’re coming back for you. Soon. I don’t know how long it’ll take to get back, but we’re coming to get you, watch for us on the cameras.”  _

_ “All of you? Robin? Jonathan? Nancy? They’re ok too? Over.” Dustin asked, braving the question they all had, though none of them wanted to admit the fear they had for the answer. They all held their breath, holding onto each other.  _

_ “Yeah. They’re all here. They’re ok. So are your families. You guys are gonna come home. Promise. Over.”  _

Max smiled as she stepped over the threshold, looking up at Lucas’s still “sleeping” form. When Steve had said that they’d found their families, her mind had automatically imagined the Sinclair’s, not her mom, or Neil (obviously) but Erica and Lucas and their parents. She imagined his mom's hugs and she and Erica's constant pranks and team ups on Lucas, as well as she and  _ Lucas’s _ team ups on  _ Erica.  _ She imagined Mr. Sinclair helping her and Lucas with math homework, and Mrs. Sinclair’s home cooked meals. 

“And speaking of home cooked meals.” She muttered, walking over to the nightstand next to the bed, where a plate of food was sitting in case Lucas woke up, still full from dinner the night before. Will and El weren’t bad cooks, but it wasn’t the same as dinner at the Sinclair’s. 

She looked from the food to Lucas, feeling instantly guilty that she’d been eating everyday, but it’d been almost  _ three  _ days since he’d eaten last, and when he had it’d only been a can of food they’d shared at the store where they’d gotten the fireworks from, which was hardly enough. He was also probably super dehydrated, especially after his episodes. 

She sat down in the chair still positioned beside the bed, his canvas jacket still hung over the back. She leaned forward, her fingers tracing across his cheek and down his face as she absentmindedly started to play with the neckline of his shirt. 

“Hey.” She whispered. “You thirsty?” Lucas groaned in reply, his head flopping to the other side of the pillow. 

“Ok.” She whispered, taking the answer as a “yes”. “I’ll be right back.” Standing up, she quickly made her way to Will’s room, grabbing two plastic bottles from the open package on the shelf of non-perishable food that Mike and Lucas used specifically for missions. 

She hurried back down the hall, hearing the others laughing at something outside as she shut the door behind her. 

“I’m back.” She said, setting one of the bottles on the ground beside the chair as she sat down. “If this actually works I’ll try to give you some food, ok?” Lucas groaned again, one of his hands squeezing into a fist at his side, the blanket crumpling in his grip, his knuckles turning almost white. 

She leaned her elbows against the bed, opening the bottle before using one of her hands to lift his head up a little, leaning him forward as she brought the bottle to his lips. He leaned forward a little more on his own as she tipped it forward, pouring some of the water into his mouth. He swallowed it down, instantly leaning forward even more, trying to drink as much as he could. 

“Slow down.” She laughed, pulling it back from him when he’d finished the whole thing, but was still trying to get more. “I’ll give you some more in a little, I don’t want to drown you.” 

Lucas leaned back against the pillows, letting out a breath. “Want some food?” She asked, grabbing his hand before he could squeeze the blanket any tighter. He squeezed her hand, but didn’t make any effort to make a noise this time.

Looking down at his hand, she felt a lightbulb go off in her brain. It was a stupid idea, she would look like an absolute idiot if it didn’t work, but it was possibly a way for him to communicate with her. 

“Ok. I’m gonna try something and I may sound like an idiot. But if you can hear me, squeeze my hand again.” She hadn’t necessarily expected him to, but his hand squeezed hers again, gently, unlike how hard he had been holding onto the blanket. 

“Ok. How about. Once for yes, twice for no. Ok?” He squeezed her hand again, showing that he understood. 

“Ok. So you can hear me, and you know who I am, right?” 

_ One. Yes _

She smiled.  _ Good _ . “Do you know where you are?” 

_ One. Two. No.  _

Also good. Him not knowing meant the Mind Flayer wasn’t spying. 

“Ok. Um, do you know how to wake yourself up?” 

_ One. Yes  _

She breathed out a sigh of relief, feeling a burden lift from her shoulders that she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying. 

“I need you to wake up soon Lucas. Can you do that?”

_ One  _

“Ok that’s good because-“ 

_ Two _

Max felt her breath catch in her throat, she swallowed, trying to form the words she needed.  _ He wouldn’t wake up?  _

“What, why? Why not we— _ I _ need you to wake up so we can find out what to do.” 

He squeezed her hand twice again.  _ No _ . 

“Lucas why...not?” She asked, her words fading by the time she got to the last word, instantly hanging her head because she knew he couldn’t answer that with a yes or no. She needed another way to communicate with him. Maybe...morse code? She didn’t have it memorized but she knew Dustin had a chart somewhere in here—

“Hurt.” He managed, his lips barely moving as he said it. The fact that he’d managed to  _ speak _ sent a shiver down her spine as she looked up at him. 

“You’re hurt?” She asked. 

_ One. Two. No.  _

“You.” He whispered, his voice raspy. His face pinched together as if he was in pain. 

“I’m not hurt, Lucas.” She said, confused, her hand finding its way toward his head, running through his hair. He relaxed, his head rolling to face her, his eyes still closed as he managed to breath out three simple words that made her stomach drop. 

“I’ll hurt you.” She shook her head, because he  _ wouldn’t.  _ He’d  _ never  _ hurt her before and she knew that he never  _ would.  _ He wasn’t like Neil. Or Billy. He was gentle with her in a way no one else could be, and selfishly, she was grateful for it, because he was the one she had  _ always _ been able to trust when she was hurting, or scared, or mad. He was always there. 

“You wouldn’t hurt me.” 

“Not...me.” She knew he was trying to say that he wasn’t himself, that he couldn’t control it, but she could see that he was already  _ stronger _ than Will had been. He was  _ forcing  _ himself to stay asleep, just because he didn’t want to hurt anyone else, even if it meant he got hurt in the process. 

“I know. But I just need to talk to you. I’ll tie your arms behind your back or something if that helps but I just want to talk to you.” Lucas didn’t respond, in any way, and Max was worried he’d fallen back into a state where he couldn’t hear her anymore.

“I know...it’s stupid because you’re right here but, I miss you Lucas. So much. I’ve been so scared ever since we got home because, I just...I really,  _ really _ don’t want to lose you. I’ve already had a breakdown and I honestly just want to see you awake and hug you again and…” she let her voice fade out, realizing how she was starting to panic again. She took a deep shaky breath, closing her eyes to regain her composer like he’d shown her that one day in the gym. 

“Even if we don’t get anywhere, please. Can you just...wake up. Just one time. For me?” She watched him desperately, waiting for an answer, but he didn’t stir, didn't squeeze her hand, didn’t make an effort to try to speak anymore. 

She pulled her hand back from his head, but she couldn’t bring herself to let go of his hand. It was all too familiar, holding onto him and just sitting in silence. She could almost pretend everything was normal. 

Just as she was about to leave, to completely give up and try to think of something different to solve all of this, Lucas squeezed her hand, once. 

“Yes.” He breathed out, his mouth barely moving. 

“Tonight?” She asked hopefully. 

He squeezed her hand again, one last time, before pulling away and rolling over. 

“Tired.” He said simply. 

“Are you hungry?” She asked. 

“No.” She nodded to herself, leaning over him to pull the blanket up over his shoulder. 

“Ok. I’ll come get you later then.” She whispered, her hand trailing down his arm as she looked at him. His breathing was heavier than it had been, his shoulder slumping a little as his head sunk deeper into the pillows, and she knew he was already asleep again. 

—————————————————————

Max ran out the back door, jumping down the back steps, her vans sliding in the dirt as she ran to the shed. 

“Dustin.” She panted, stopping in the doorway. It wasn’t only Dustin that looked up, but she honestly didn’t care about the weird looks the other three were giving her. 

“We need to talk.” She said, her eyes bugging out in a way that told him “right now”. He followed her outside, pulling her around the other side of the shed. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

“Lucas. I found a way for him to communicate with me. He knows how to wake up, and he said he’ll do it tonight—” She started excitingly, almost disappointed when he decided to stop her. 

“Whoa whoa slow down.” Dustin said. “Tonight? We’re not done. We don’t have the whole plan thought out.” 

“Dustin, we  _ have  _ to do this tonight.” She said firmly. 

“I know you wanna get him back as soon as possible but we need to think about this.” 

“I have thought about it.” She insisted. “I have it all planned out.” 

“Then tell me.” 

“I-” she looked around the corner of the shed toward where the others were. The three of them were sitting outside the shed now, their backs pressed against the wall as they passed around a bag of pretzels Will had gotten from inside. It felt wrong to be keeping things from her friends, but some things just weren’t meant for everyone to know. “I can’t. I just need you to trust me.” 

“Why is it such a secret? All you’re doing is just making him remember himself aren't you?”

“Yeah I am but I just need to be alone for it. Ok?” She said impatiently, trying to stay calm. It annoyed her when people didn’t listen. 

“Why?” Dustin insisted. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be in there by yourself when he’s literally  _ possessed.  _ You saw Will. He was  _ tiny _ when this happened to him, literally shorter than  _ you _ and he  _ still _ managed to have his  _ mom in a death grip.”  _

“I know. It’s just…” She let out a breath. “There’s some personal things I don’t want you guys to hear about. Things I’ve only ever been able to talk to Lucas about.” 

“Max, you could get hurt—”

“I won’t!” She snapped. “I can take care of myself? Did everyone just suddenly forget about that? I lived with  _ Billy _ and  _ Neil freaking Hargrove  _ in the same house for like seven years! I threatened him with a nail-studded bat to protect you all! I’m not helpless!” 

“No. No I know you can, it's just…” Dustin ran a hand over his face. 

“What if something goes wrong—I’m not saying it will!” He said, holding up his hands as Max started to object. “And no one knows about it? Lucas could get out and could hurt someone else, or  _ himself.  _ You don’t want that do you?” 

“No.” She admitted. “No I don’t.” She looked back at her friends, before turning to Dustin. “Tell me what we need to do to finish the shed, and we’ll just figure this all out as we go, ok?.” 

“Ok.” He agreed. “Just tell us what you need.” 

—————————————————————

“Are you sure about this?” Mike asked as he finished tying the rope around Lucas’s wrists. 

“Positive.” Max said, stapling the last of the scrap sheet metal onto the wall. It was already dark outside, the others had been working on the shed since sunrise.

“You're  _ sure _ you don’t want us to stay?” Will asked as he walked into the shed, wiping his arm across his forehead. His face was smeared with mud, his clothing caked in dirt. Max couldn’t help but notice how he looked a little like Jonathan would after he and Steve would come back from  _ their  _ missions. “Mike and I can just be right outside the door if you need us.” 

“No, I’m sure. Dustin has the camera installed, so just make sure to watch.” She said, gesturing to the top corner where the camera was hidden in the shadows. 

“Catch.” She added, tossing the staple gun to Will, giving him a small smile. “I got this, don't worry. If everything goes to plan we should have him back by tomorrow.” 

“Yeah.” Mike agreed, turning to Will with a mischievous smile. “We’ll know he’s back to normal if they start making out. Make sure you keep a  _ close eye _ on those cameras, maybe record it?” 

“ _ You’re _ gonna play that card, Mike? Of all people?” She challenged. “Remember when Dustin caught you and El hiding in the pantry-“ 

“Ok ok ok!” He exclaimed, holding his hands up in surrender, Will starting to laugh at the memory. 

“Or when me and Will caught the two of you in the laundry room because you thought we were too busy watching the movie to notice you two were taking too long to “pop popcorn”.” 

“Max.” He warned, gritting his teeth together. 

“Or how about the time Lucas woke up in the middle of the night to get water and you guys were watching another movie while cuddling-” 

“MAX!” Mike yelled, Will disappearing outside in a fit of laughter, holding his stomach as he stumbled out the door.

“I get it ok. I’m sorry. Sheesh.” He grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he started to follow the still laughing Will. Max laughed to herself, turning toward Lucas. 

_ Checkmate.  _

Mike reached out for the door, freezing when his hand found the wood. “Hey.” He said, turning around to face her. She looked up at him. “Good luck.” 

She smiled, saluting him. “Gonna need it Paladin.” She teased. Mike rolled his eyes, muttering what sounded like “whatever zoomer” before shutting the door behind him, disappearing into the darkness outside. 

Now, it was just her, Lucas, and an empty room. She knew at least Dustin and El were probably watching her on the camera already, waiting for her to start. 

She’d only agreed to the camera after Dustin had told her they wouldn’t hear anything because he’d disabled the audio. They’d only see her talking, and if something went wrong, but not what she was saying. Some things were too personal for all of them to know. 

Her gaze wandered over to Lucas, his chair leaned up against a beam in the very center of the room, his hands tied behind his back around it, his head slumped against his chest. They’d put his jacket back on before they’d brought him out, because it was significantly colder outside than in the house. 

Max took a deep breath, moving to kneel in front of him, the concrete floor cold through her jeans. “Lucas.” She whispered, reaching up to run her fingers through his frizzy hair, gently pulling his head up a little. 

“I need you to wake up now.” She said. “To talk.” 

He didn’t move, his head slumping back against his chest as she carefully pulled her hand away. If he wasn’t  _ tied to the beam _ he might’ve fallen off the chair. 

“Lucas.” She said a little louder, lightly slapping his face. “Cmon wake up.” 

His head rocked to the side, leaning against his shoulder now. 

“Lucas.” She said, before standing up, looking around for the bottle of bleach Will had brought in just in case. 

He gasped, breathing heavily as his head snapped up to look at her. She jumped back a little in surprise, finally looking at him, awake, for the first time in days. 

His eyes were darker than usual, almost black instead of their usual golden-brown, and his brows pressed together in confusion as he looked from her, over his shoulder to his hands, and back to her. 

“Where am I?” He asked, his voice raspy and rough from lack of use. He struggled, trying to free his hands, but Mike had triple tied them. 

“Max, what’re you gonna do to me?” He whispered, his voice underlined in fear as he stared up at her. Max swallowed, letting out a breath. 

_ This ended now.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is gonna be all about Max making Lucas remember so get ready for some super non canon moments I made up(with the help of Megan)   
> Next chapter MIGHT come out Tuesday, I’m gonna put an extra bit of thought and time in so if I don’t get it done, next Friday.   
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	12. Lucas Charles Sinclair

“Max, what’re you gonna do to me?” Lucas asked, his voice underlined in fear as he stared up at her. 

“I just wanna talk to you.” She whispered, crouching down in front of him. “That’s all. I’m not gonna hurt you.” Lucas swallowed, keeping his gaze firmly locked onto her as he tried to free his hands again. 

“There’s nothing to talk about.” He growled, clenching his teeth together as he glared at her. “Now let me go.” With each word he seemed to grow angrier, yanking at the rope with more and more strength each time. 

“Lucas.” Max whispered. “Just look at me.” 

“No!” He yelled, trying to look at the rope as he continued to try to free himself. 

“Let. Me. Go!” He yelled, the lights starting to flicker as he leaned forward, getting closer to her, but not by much, Mike’s handiwork with the knots he’d tied holding him back. She watched him tensely, swallowing as she forced herself to keep eye contact with him, to let him know that he wasn’t scaring her, something she’d mastered after living with Neil and Billy. 

“Let me go! Let me go! Let...let me, let me go…” his voice faded, his energy draining as he slumped in his chair, panting and sweating, the lights brightening back to normal. 

“Hey.” She whispered, almost surprised when he looked up at her, no longer looking angry, his expression instead blank. 

“Do you know your name?” He stared back at her for a moment, his expression never changing as he spoke. 

“Lucas.” 

“Your full name?” He seemed a bit taken aback, his eyebrows pressing together in thought. 

“Lucas Sinclair.” He finally answered. Max shook her head, noticing the way his mouth twitched and he set his jaw when she corrected him. 

“Your name is Lucas Charles Sinclair. You got your middle name from your dad, and your great-grandpa.” She said, naming off the simple fact she’d known for nearly a year and a half since she’d first heard Erica call him by his middle name. 

“Your birthday is October 13. You were born here, in Hawkins. You’ve lived here your whole life.” He swallowed anxiously, but made no effort to pull his gaze away from her, his attention focusing solely on her words. 

“Do you remember the first time we hung out?” She asked, shifting her weight as she looked up at him from where she was crouching from in front of the chair. “It was Halloween, 1984, almost two and a half years ago. I had just moved in, I had no friends, and even when I acted all snobby you and Dustin still invited me along. That whole night I temporarily forgot all about Billy and my home life when I hung out with you guys. You kept doing your stupid “totally tubular” thing, and I don’t think I had ever laughed that much since before my parents had gotten divorced.” Lucas swallowed again, gritting his teeth together as he continued to focus on her, listening intently. She automatically moved on to another moment, not wasting any time. 

“How about, that time you and I snuck up to Cerebro?” She asked, smiling at the memory. “Dustin had said he was busy that night, and he couldn’t call Suzie, so we decided to do it for him. She was so confused, but she remembered who we were because of a picture Dustin had shown her of the Party while he was at camp. We told her all these funny stories about him, like how he once spilled chocolate pudding on his pants, and went a whole day without noticing, or when he tried to drink chocolate milk through his nose, and the straw got stuck.” Her smile widened, and she thought she saw a hint of a smile twitch at the corner of Lucas’s lips. 

“We told her how Dustin had bet he could eat an entire pizza in under ten minutes, and had ended up puking it all up and wasting what would’ve been our dinner, so Steve took us to the movies to watch  _ A Nightmare on Elm Street 2  _ and took us all to McDonalds afterwards, even though it was almost midnight. Dustin was so mad when he found out we’d told her all those stories that he didn’t talk to us for two days.” Lucas was shaking now, just slightly, his eyes looking a little less empty than they had before, focused. It was the same thing as when he was thinking, his gaze would hone-in on something in particular while he thought, always drawing up a plan or remembering old information that he needed at the moment. Max racked her brain for another memory, not giving him any time to stop paying attention. 

“What about Christmas, 1984? Billy had broken my skateboard by running it over with his car after he saw me with you at the arcade, but you saved up all of your own money from shoveling driveways and doing extra chores just so you could buy me a new one, because you thought it was your fault. I’d never seen you so excited before, until you’d pulled me to the side, right before I left the Christmas party at your house and told me to open it right there.” Lucas smiled, just barley, before seeming to realize what he was doing, his expression dropping once more. 

“It was literally the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me, and the best gift I’d gotten for Christmas.” She added 

Lucas started to struggle against the rope once more, not as angrily as before, his gaze still focused on her. “Max?” He whispered. 

“Yeah?” 

“Keep. Going.” He said firmly, his eyebrows raising just slightly to show her he was serious. 

“Ok.” She whispered, realizing that the small, happy things weren’t as powerful as she’d hoped. She needed something big, and memorable that had happened with him. “When we went on a snowboarding trip with your family last year, do you remember any of that?” He looked at her quizzically, as if she’d asked him to solve a math problem instead of asking him a simple yes or no question. 

“I’d never been snowboarding in my life, but you told me it was just skateboarding with snow and begged me to come with you, even though the alternative was spending my Christmas break home alone with my mom and Neil. It was just you, me, Erica and your parents, on a four hour road trip up to the mountain. The rest of the party came up on the last day but we stayed in a cabin for three nights. You were super patient while you taught me to stay balanced and get used to the board, and you would always make sure I was ok when I biffed it.” Lucas’s eyes were piercing into hers now, giving her his full attention, showing her that he was in control of himself right now. 

“You may absolutely  _ suck _ at skateboarding.” She teased. “But you’re a pro at snowboarding. You kept going off all these jumps and it was honestly so impressive. Even after you wiped out on one and hurt your shoulder you still went out the next morning, doing that one jump until you mastered it. After being on the mountain all day we’d go back to the cabin, and your mom would make dinner and we’d all play games until we were forced to go to bed. Erica kept choosing me to be on her team because she knew we could destroy you in poker or whatever we were doing if we were both playing the same cards.” Her smile faded a little as she continued. 

“I just remember, I had a nightmare, about Billy and the Fourth of July the last night we were there, and I snuck out of the room Erica and I were in down to the kitchen to get some water, but you were already there, for the same reason. You said you couldn’t sleep because you kept seeing  _ it _ . You were panicking because you didn’t know what would happen now that Erica was involved if it came back. You were so worried about protecting everyone that you couldn’t focus on anything else.” A tear fell down Lucas’s cheek, but he kept his eyes locked onto hers. 

“I don’t know how long I held onto you, not only because you were freaking out but because I was scared too, and you’re like the  _ only _ person that seems to understand why I panic.” 

“Because the future scares you.” He mumbled, another tear rolling down his cheek. “You don’t like thinking about it because you don’t know what could happen in that time.” She nodded, giving him a small smile. 

“Yeah.” She whispered. “Yeah that’s exactly why.” In that moment Max saw how truly beaten down he looked. He’d stopped struggling with the ropes for one thing, and even though he’d been asleep for days there were dark, black bags under his eyes. He was slumped forward in his chair, the rope around his wrists was the only thing holding him up. 

“Are you back?” She asked. 

“Almost.” He managed, screwing his eyes shut as if somebody had punched him in the stomach, because that’s how he looked when he was in pain. “Do...do another one, before he gets control.” 

“Ok.” She whispered. “Um, do you remember that one night, that I climbed up to your room?” Lucas froze, as if he didn’t need her to tell him this story. She knew this was the moment that would make him remember, but she had secretly hoped she wouldn’t have to tell it, it brought back so many vivid memories from before and after that event, so many confusing emotions that she still didn’t know how to deal with.

“Neil...Neil had hit me that night, I never told you that part, but you probably knew, you’re not stupid. It was literally pouring rain, but I’d run from my house to yours in record time. It was pure adrenaline that carried me up to your window, and it wasn’t until you’d opened it and I was inside, dripping all over the carpet that I realized how...scared I was. At first you teased me for not using the door, but it was eleven thirty and as soon as you saw the bruise on my cheek you went into your protective mode. I-I didn’t mean to but I started to cry and then you were just hugging me, whispering that everything was going to be ok.” She swallowed, wiping at her eyes as she thought back to how scared and hurt, emotionally and physically she’d been that night, not only because Neil had hit her, but it had _also_ been the day of Billy’s funeral as well. The day where she’d had to sit through the same bull-crap story she’d heard the paramedics talking about that night at the mall, and on the news, and what she’d been forced to tell her mom. She couldn’t say anything or look at anybody without almost spewing the truth out. 

And the worst part? None of her friends had been there, they weren’t supposed to be, so she hadn’t been able to have anybody to help her through it, eventually locking herself in some empty room until she was able to breathe again, she’d never felt more truly alone than she had that day. 

She’d hadn’t expected Neil’s anger to be turned against her the  _ second _ Billy was gone, but he’d hit her without a second thought, the smell of alcohol on his breath as her  _ own mother  _ disappeared into the safety of her bedroom. 

“You better learn some respect.” Neil had spit out, backing her into a corner, even though all she’d said was she didn’t want to talk about the funeral, she wanted to go to bed and forget everything, that apparently wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Or you’re going to end up just like Billy. Six feet under the ground and remembered as the loser everyone always knew him as. I’ll make sure of it.” Just the threat alone was enough to make her shiver. 

“I just, I remember how... _ safe _ I’d felt with you.” She continued, looking up at Lucas again. “How long and tightly you’d held onto me, even though I was soaking from the rain and getting it all over your favorite hoodie, how you didn’t question when I said I didn’t want to talk about it. You didn’t treat me any differently than you normally did, like everyone else would’ve. Instead, you distracted me from all the fear by pulling out an old box of legos you had stuffed in the back of your closet, because you know that moving around helped me calm down. We just built the dumbest things possible, for hours, until I finally decided I needed to get back before anyone realized I was gone. I just remember that as I snuck back to my house I wasn’t  _ scared _ anymore, and as I climbed back through my window I knew I could always go to you for  _ anything _ .” She choked, her gaze dropping. 

“ _ That _ was when I knew that I loved you.” She whispered to herself, wiping at her eyes again. She risked a glance at Lucas, surprised to find he had tears rolling down his cheeks too. His eyes were no longer empty, and cold, but once more back to his soft, welcoming, golden brown eyes that she never got tired of looking at. The ones that made her melt when he looked at her, or how worried he’d look when she was hurt, but never, ever judgmental.

“Lucas.” She whispered. “I need you to tell me what to do.” 

He took a very shaky breath, his expression changing a few times from desperation to anger, his jaw clenching as if he was trying his hardest to continue to hold the monster back. 

“Max…” he started, looking back at her, breathing heavily as tears streamed down his cheeks. 

“I’m scared.” He whispered, leaning towards her. “I don’t want to hurt anyone else.” 

“You’re not.” She said softly. “You’re not gonna hurt anyone. Just...tell me what I need to do. I want to help you.” He swallowed, his head dropping just slightly. 

“The note.” He said simply. “Did you read it?” It was a simple question, but just thinking back to the note brought back so many unwanted memories, so much fear and anxiety that Max just nodded, letting out a shaky breath as she screwed her eyes shut. 

“Lucas I won’t kill you. I-I can’t.” 

“No, no not that. There’s...there’s something else. I just...I need you to figure it out. Please.” He managed, twisting his body and leaning forward as if he was in pain. 

“Understand?” He whispered, twisting even further as he turned his head up to look at her. She nodded, showing him she understood. 

“I understand.” She whispered. “But...what am I supposed to do until then? Leave you tied up in here? I know that he’ll spy and attack us as soon as you know where—”

“Shut up!” He yelled, his face going red as he leaned closer, almost making her jump back. Quicker than she’d been able to get him back the monster was already taking over again, more angry than before. “You don’t know anything!” 

She swallowed, holding her ground. “I’m just trying to help you, ok? That’s all. I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“Well I  _ do _ .” He growled. “I  _ hate _ you. I’ve  _ always _ hated you. You always have to be the hero don’t you Max?” 

_ He doesn’t mean that.  _ She thought to herself, but no matter how many times she said it she couldn’t seem to convince herself that he wasn’t speaking the truth. 

“Oh, did that hurt?” He asked, faking concern. “Good. Because you  _ ruined my life.”  _ He spit out each word, his face turning redder with anger each time. She felt tears leak out onto her cheeks, and she closed her eyes again, turning her head away.  _ It’s not Lucas.  _ She kept thinking.  _ Lucas would never say that.  _

_ Maybe not.  _ Another voice argued.  _ But he’s probably always thought it. Who wouldn’t? You’re a burden to everyone anyways _ **_._ **

“Lucas. Please.” She started, trying to push away the negativity sneaking into her thoughts. “Just listen to me-” 

“No!” He yelled, his voice sounding so much more dangerous then she’d ever heard before. He was starting to scare her.  _ He never scared her. This was wrong.  _

“You don’t know what you’re doing! You have no idea! You’re going to kill me! Just like you killed Billy!” Her breath caught as he threw her own words back at her, using it against her in a way she’d never imagined he’d do. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, not knowing what else to say to him. “You’re right I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m just so scared and I want to help you but I don’t know  _ what to do. _ ” 

He glared at her. 

“Lucas please.” She managed. “Please tell me how to fix this. I can still save you.” 

“You can’t save me.” He snapped. 

“If you save me, everyone else will  _ die.  _ Including  _ you. I can’t hurt you Max.”  _ He spoke those last five words with so much force that she knew he was fighting against the monster inside of him, trying to show her he was still there. 

“I don’t care if I get hurt.” She said. “As long as it means you’re ok and here with me then  _ I don’t care.”  _ Lucas didn’t answer, his feet braced against the chair. 

“Good.” He whispered. Max felt her eyebrows press together, and before she could ask him what he meant by that, he‘d lunged for her, catching her by surprise as he sent her sprawling pinning her to the ground, leaning over her. She felt her head hit the concrete as she fell back, but she couldn’t register the pain because of the simple thought echoing around in her mind: “how did he get out of the rope?” Suddenly she caught what looked like a  _ knife _ in his hands, the silver blade glinting under the single light strapped to the beam over the chair. His  _ pocket knife.  _ She should’ve checked his jacket. 

She reached up toward him as he pushed her deeper into the concrete, making it harder to breathe as she grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt, trying to push him away, panting hard as she tried to free herself, but Lucas was stronger than her, even  _ without _ an interdimensional monster controlling him. 

“Lucas. Please. Stalker, it’s me! It’s Max!” She said, starting the panic as the shimmering of the knife became closer. 

He froze at the nickname, his hand hovering over her with the knife pointed straight at her chest. He looked quickly from the weapon down at her, dropping the knife on the concrete floor beside her, his breathing starting to quicken as he looked at her, realization filling his eyes. 

“Max...I-I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean…” he started to stumble over his words, his eyes becoming wider as they kept finding the knife just a few feet away.

“Hey.” She interrupted, reaching her hand to his face, cradling his head as her fingers brushed into his hair.

“It’s ok.” She said shakily. “It’s ok.” He leaned against her hand on instinct, tears starting to leak down his cheeks. 

“Max. Please you-you have to-“

“I’m  _ not _ killing you.” She whispered, feeling tears build in her own eyes. “We’ll find a way out of this. Together, remember? You promised.” 

“Max, please.” He breathed, his eyes meeting hers, no longer black and empty, but back to the usual soft brown eyes he had when he looked at her. When he was so focused on her that she was all he was paying attention to. It was  _ him, finally him _ . 

“Lucas.” She whispered, tears starting to fall. “I-I can’t.” 

“Do it!” He snapped, leaning closer. She flinched, and when he saw it he pulled back just as quickly, pushing himself away from her, his hands braced against the concrete at her sides. 

“Do. It. If you’ve ever cared about me at all you’ll do it.” He said, his voice full of desperation. She felt her hand moving towards the knife, not even registering what she was doing until it was firmly in her hands. His eyes followed her movements, landing on the weapon, before looking at her again, a small forced smile forming on the edge of his lips. 

He grabbed her hand, gently guiding it to the center of his chest, creasing his t-shirt as the point met the fabric. 

“Lucas?” She managed, her breathing shaky as she looked up at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“I love you.” She choked, another tear falling. This  _ couldn’t _ be happening. She couldn’t  _ lose him _ , especially not like this. Someone had to stop it, but she knew she couldn’t. Somehow she knew, it couldn’t be her. 

Lucas gave her a small smile, reaching down toward her to wipe away the tears that were falling. “It’s okay.” He whispered. “It’s gonna be ok.”

“You still can’t say it back.” She laughed bitterly. His eyebrows knit together in confusion, watching her intently. “Lucas please. Don’t go. I _need_ you. Don’t make me do this.” 

He leaned forward slightly, the tip of the blade ripping through his shirt, breaking through the skin on his chest as blood started to leak from under the cloth. Max flinched back, trying to pull the knife away, but Lucas grabbed her hand, holding it in place.  
She was  _ hurting him _ . She’d  _ promised  _ she wouldn’t and now here she was, about to kill her  _ best friend.  _ Every memory with him seemed to flash through her mind, as she finally processed the fact that she would never see him again. She would have to continue living the rest of her life, never waiting on another call from him, never getting to hug him again or just sit and talk to him, letting him hear her fears just so he could understand why she was acting the way she was. She’d seen him  _ everyday _ for almost two years now, she would give up  _ any _ chance of him ever loving her back just for him to stay in her life, even if he hated her, but he couldn’t go. 

She choked, a fresh round of tears starting to leak from her eyes. 

“Lucas. Please don’t. Please.” 

“It’s ok.” He whispered. Her hand moved into his hair, before coming down to trace along his jaw. 

“I can’t lose you. I can’t just let you go. You  _ know _ that.” 

“You have to.” He breathed, grunting as he put more pressure into the knife, forcing it to dig deeper into his skin. “You have to move on.” 

“No.” She cried, trying to pull the knife back, but Lucas’s grip was too strong. “No I _can’t_. You’re the only  _ family _ I have left. Please Lucas, don’t do this. I love you  _ so much _ , please.” He seemed to respond when she had said that he was her family, pulling back just slightly as his eyes widened, but not enough to snap him out of it, not enough for her to pull the knife away. 

“I’m sorry.” He said. She knew that tone. He wasn’t listening to her. 

“Don’t.” She said firmly, knowing exactly what he was going to do. “Don’t do it.” When he looked at her the softness in his eyes was no longer there. They were dark, and cold. So cold, and she knew he was gone. She forced herself to swallow down the sob threatening to tear out of her throat, trying to remain in control. 

“Lucas…” she managed, her fingertips brushing along his cheek. “I know you’re in there somewhere. I just...I can’t let you go without saying goodbye. Please. If I’m really going to lose you, it can’t be like this.” 

Somehow when he answered with silence she knew it was too late. He was gone, _forever_ , and she would never get to see his smile, or hear his laugh, or feel the way he’d hold onto her like she was the only thing in the world ever again. He was gone, just like that, and there was nothing she could do to change it.   
  


“Lucas, please. I’m scared.” 

He jerked, like he was going to press his full weight into the knife, making her flinch, but instead of moving forward he was pulled backward, away from her, and Max saw for the first time, that Mike and Will had stayed. They hadn’t left when she’d told them to, they’d been waiting, because they knew how dangerous Lucas could be. To her and himself. 

Lucas was thrashing around, yelling and struggling, but the two boys were stronger together than him alone.

Max held up her hands in front of her, shaking violently, still holding the knife, the tip soaked in crimson red blood.  _ Lucas’s blood _ . It wasn’t black like before, but  _ his _ . 

She threw the weapon down, pushing herself into a sitting position, scooting all the way back to the wall as she started to hyperventilate. She squeezed her eyes shut, her breathing coming out in short gasps as she tried to control the tears and the fear on the edge of spilling into another panic attack. She was so concentrated on not freaking out that when a pair of hands closed around her shoulders she jumped a foot in the air. 

“No!” She yelled, automatically reaching out to push Lucas away, only to find her hand landing on her best friend’s shoulder.

“Max! It’s ok! It’s me it’s El.” She stared blankly at her friend kneeling in front of her, trying to process anything and everything, still trying to push herself even further away, forgetting about the wall behind her. 

“Get away from me.” She whimpered. “I’m the monster.” 

“You’re not a monster.” El whispered. 

“I a-almost killed him. I couldn’t stop and I was s-so scared and I didn’t know how to stop it and-“ El pulled her into a hug, cradling her head against her shoulder as she whispered that it was ok, over and over again until Max wasn’t sure if she was imagining it or not. 

“I would’ve been the reason he was gone.” 

“But he’s not gone.” El pointed out. “The boys got him. He’s ok.” 

“But he  _ almost was _ , and it was  _ all my fault.  _ I was  _ hurting _ him. I  _ promised _ I wouldn’t hurt him. I broke my promise, I don’t belong in the party. I’m a terrible friend.” 

“Max stop.” El said firmly, pulling away as she forced Max to look at her, gently holding onto the sides of her head. “You. Are not. A bad. Person. Do you understand?” Max took a deep breath, her tears stopping almost instantly out of practice as she nodded. 

“We have to save him El.” 

“We will.” El said firmly. “Did he tell you what to do?” 

“The note. He said I need to figure it out but I don’t know what that means.” 

“I think I do.” A voice said. The two girls turned toward the doorway to see Mike standing just inside the shed, holding up a single sheet of paper. “It’s a code.” 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is kinda more intense then Will’s “remembering scene” but I didn’t wanna copy it so I kinda added in some Maze Runner.  
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	13. Poison

“Alone. Again.” Max mumbled to herself, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. She was sitting in the living room, on the couch, in the dark. The only light coming into the house was the silver moonlight streaming through the kitchen window and the light leaking into the hallway from Jonathan’s room. The way it crawled across the floor and climbed up the wall reminded her of fire. 

_ Fire. Starcourt. Billy. Gone.  _

She sighed, laying down on the couch, stretching her legs out as she rested her head against the armrest. She was exhausted. Exhausted of worrying about Lucas, of crying, of not knowing what in the world she was doing. Usually  _ Lucas  _ was the one with the plans. If this had been anyone else he would’ve had a plan, and they would’ve been ok by now. Instead, everything was going wrong, and the others had been depending on  _ her  _ to get information out of him. 

She dug the letter out of her pocket, squinting to read it in the darkness, but she’d practically memorized it already because of how many times she’d read it since they’d come back inside. Mike had said it was some type of code, but he hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her what it was before Will had asked him to help him and Dustin with Lucas. 

Her gaze kept landing on the one line on the page she was holding onto, but now she didn’t even know if it was true: _ I don’t even remember our fight very well but I do remember one thing and I love you too _ . She swallowed, closing her eyes as she let the paper drop onto the rug in front of the couch. He hadn’t said it back in the shed, or anytime at all after their fight. Even when she was  _ positive _ it was him back in the shed he hadn’t said it back. 

__

_ Did he really not love her?  _

Her stomach dropped. That hurt. A lot. She didn’t want to think about it, but was it really selfish of her to want to hear him say those three simple words back to her? Her stomach dropped at the guilt she felt when she thought about it, if she didn’t distract herself soon it was going to be all that was on her mind for a while. 

She opened her eyes, slowly reaching for the note again, pulling it towards her. She read over it again, and then again, but there was nothing that stood out to her.

“What did you  _ expect _ me to figure out?” She whispered, rolling to her back as she held the paper up above her. “I’m not a 4.0 gpa star student like you are.” 

She could practically feel Lucas standing over her, waiting for her to notice it, for it to click in her brain, just like he did when helping her study before a big test, or re-teaching her the math for the week because it made no sense. 

“ _ You notice things Max. I know you do. You just have to notice the right things to figure it all out. It’s just one big, giant puzzle, once you start to see it, the rest comes easy.”  _

“Yeah a puzzle with a billion peices.” She mumbled to herself. She hadn’t even remembered him saying that until now, but things he’d seemed to tell her in the past always worked now, she just had to remember the right moments. 

“ _ Lucas I won’t kill you. I-I can’t. _ ” Her own voice echoed in her mind. 

“ _ No, no not that. There’s...there’s something else. I just...I need you to figure it out. Please.”  _

He’d said it  _ didn’t  _ involve the part to kill him. That was her first and possibly only clue. She sighed, holding the paper a little closer as she re-read it  _ again _ , trying to look at everything.

,Max,

I know what you’ll think after reading this and I know, it’s, hard but I need you to trust me. I’ve been acting differently lately and I know you’ve noticed it too. I just feel so angry all the time and I’ve been having, a different reaction, than normal. You know I’d never hurt you but he’s making me do it. I don’t even remember our fight very well but I do remember one thing and I love you too. I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to control him long enough to say it back. I‘m going to get you home but then I need to leave. To protect you. I’d never do it willingly but I’ve put a lot of thought into this. If he manages to take control and I don’t make it away I need you to do something for me. If you really love me Max, please kill, me before ,it, hurts anyone else. I’m sorry I couldn’t do better but,

h̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶s̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶l̶d̶ it’s cold,. 

I love you. I’m sorry. 

Lucas

_ What’s with all the random commas everywhere?”  _ Mike's voice suddenly popped into her mind, and she sat up quickly as it finally clicked. 

“No way.” She said under her breath. Untangling herself from the blanket, she rushed to the kitchen, stumbling a few times, flicking on the lights and digging through every drawer for a pen. When she finally found one, she could only hope that her idea worked. 

She sat down at the kitchen table, re-reading over the note one more time. 

There were certain words, sometimes one and sometimes more, surrounded by commas on either side, boxed in. She circled all those words. She’d been so mad at Mike for pointing them out when it didn’t seem relevant, but now she realized that he’d solved the code without even knowing it. She double checked and triple checked to make sure she’d gotten all of the necessary words, before writing the final message at the bottom of the page underneath Lucas’s. 

Max, it’s a different reaction, please kill it. 

h̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶s̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶l̶d̶ it’s cold 

“How in the world did you come up with that?” She whispered in awe. “You freaking genius.” 

Once more she could almost feel Lucas standing behind her, looking over her shoulder as he smiled, proud of her, because she’d  _ done _ it. 

“ _ See _ ?” She remembered him saying once she’d completed something. “ _ It’s not as hard as you think.”  _

“Hey we got him back to sleep—“ Will said, entering the kitchen, freezing when he saw Max at the table, still staring open mouthed at the paper in her hand. 

“Uh...what’s up?” He asked, slipping into the seat next to her. 

“See for yourself.” She beamed, sliding the paper over to him. It only took Will a moment to realize what she was talking about, his eyes widening. 

“Y-you found a code.” He stuttered, his expression one of unbelief as he stared back at her. 

“Yeah! Well actually it was kinda Mike that gave me the idea but, yeah.” 

“Whoa whoa whoa, you just gave  _ Mike _ credit, are you sure you didn’t hit your head harder?” He teased, reaching toward her. 

“Haha very funny.” She said sarcastically, swatting his hand away and taking the paper back from him. “Any idea what reaction he could be talking about?” 

“Well I would assume the one to get rid of it. You know how we burned it out of me? The fire didn’t seem to react with the poison.” Will started, his eyebrows pressed together in concentration the way he always did when he was trying to figure something out. 

“Yeah but that’s just the thing, maybe he was talking about the poison. We’ve never had to deal with it before. The first time I saw his blood it was  _ black  _ but just barely…” she let her voice fade out, closing her eyes at the memory, suddenly realizing how much it was haunting her. 

“It was red, like normal?” Will guessed. She nodded, letting out a shaky breath. 

“I hurt him Will.” 

“You didn’t mean to.” 

“But I did.” She whispered. “That was  _ his blood  _ on the knife, and the knife was in my hands.” 

“Max—“ 

“I know I act tough but...you have no idea how scary that was. It was like...“ 

“Like he wasn’t himself, like he had no control and he would do anything he had to, go through any _ body _ he had to, just to finish his mission?” Max looked up at him, and he nodded. “Yeah, I know.” 

“Will, I’m sorry...I-I didn’t even think about that.” She whispered, a wave of guilt washing over her. 

“It’s ok.” He said, giving her a genuine smile. “It’s ok.” He laid his hand over hers, only to find that she was shaking. She was good at hiding it on the outside, good at pretending that nothing was wrong, but he knew this all was affecting her, and was scaring her more than Billy ever had. The adrenaline was wearing off, reality slowly settling in. 

“Hey, Max, talk to me.” He whispered. “I know this isn’t easy.” 

“I’m scared.” She choked out, pushing the paper to the middle of the table as she leaned against her hands. “But I don’t want to be scared. I’m exhausted.” 

“I know you are. You’ve been doing so much for Lucas. Let us help you.” 

“I-I want to but...I’m so used to doing things by myself...” 

“I know, I know you are. But Billy and your step dad aren’t here anymore, you don’t need to live purely off of survival.” 

“But Lucas does.” She whispered, a single tear falling down her cheek, ducking her head away from him. “He can’t survive on his own right now and I have to do everything I can to help him.” Will's expression dropped as Max continued: 

“I know it sounds so stupid but, without him I just feel like...I don’t know, like...like it’s cold…and— and nothings is going to be the same.” She wiped aggressively at her face, as if the pressure would stop her tears completely. “So stupid.” 

Will wanted to reach over and hug her, he wanted to hold onto her and just let her cry until she couldn’t cry anymore, he wanted to give her a safe place to let all of these confusing emotions out without having to worry about being judged, because he knew how she felt, how scary it was. But suddenly a lightbulb went off in his brain, an idea that may be able to solve all of their problems. 

“Cold.” He whispered, understanding washing over his expression. Max looked over at him curiously. “Max, that’s it. Let me see that note again.” She slid him the paper, scooting her chair closer so that she could look over his shoulder, suddenly intrigued. 

“What is it?” 

“You see how “he likes it cold” is crossed out?” He asked, pointing to the paper with the pen and looking at her over his shoulder. She nodded, watching him intently. “And right afterwards it says “it’s cold.” He was talking about the reaction! Maybe he’s trying to tell us that instead of the Mind Flayer liking it cold, this time it  _ hates _ the cold. He gave us the answer directly.” 

“Will.” Max said. “You’re a genius.” 

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He teased, flashing her a dramatic smile. 

“But...wait hold on.” Max started again, standing up. “How does the Mindflayer hating cold explain the demodogs hating fire and heat?”

They both looked at each other at the same time, their eyes lighting up as it all clicked into place. 

“The poison.” 

_______________________________________

“The poison that the dogs injected into Lucas doesn’t react the same way to heat as the dogs do. This time, instead of burning the Mindflayer out of him, like we did to Will.” Max explained, gesturing to the boy beside her. 

“We have to  _ freeze _ the poison out of him.” Will finished. The other three sat in front of them on the couch, their expressions nothing short of confusion. 

“So, he’s not possessed by the Mind Flayer?” El asked. 

“Not technically, the poison was just making him react the way Mind Flayer wanted him to, still making him spy, but that’s why he still had so much more control compared to me, his body was still fighting the poison.” Will explained. 

“Mike.” Max said, turning the taller boy’s attention to her. “Where did Lucas get bit the first time?” 

Mike looked at her like she was crazy, but nevertheless held up his arm, gesturing to his forearm. “Like right in the middle of his left arm, I did my best to close it up but Dustin restitched it up the day we got back…” 

“And when he and I came back…” 

“It was the exact same spot where the dog’s claws had dug into him.” Dustin finished for her, amazement filling his expression. “That’s why his blood was black when you tried to help him, but red just now in the shed. When you guys were attacked, it tried to inject another round of poison into him because he was gaining too much control,  _ that’s _ why they kept attacking you, and following you, they were trying to get to him.” 

“Which is why he was reacting so much more aggressively than before. The poison isn’t necessarily taking over his whole body and contaminating his blood, just every time we checked it was there, but it’s still injected into him, still affecting him.” 

Mike and Dustin leaned back against the couch, their eyes glassy as they processed this new information, occasionally sharing glances with each other and Will. 

“How do we freeze it out of him?” El spoke up. “It’s not like we have a room like the sauna that gets cold instead of hot.” 

The six of them all shared a look, their excitement and energy dropping a little, because El was right, this wasn’t going to be easy, and they didn’t have an easily accessible way to do it. 

“We’ll have to tie him down or something.” Max said quietly. 

“Where? In the bathtub?” Mike teased, but the second he said it they all looked back at him seriously. 

“That’s...not a bad idea.” Max said, her head tilting to the side as she looked at him. 

“And we’ve got like ninety bags of ice.” Dustin offered helpfully. 

“Ice bath.” El said. 

“Yeah but, he’s used to those, remember how he did one like everyday after basketball practice?” Mike said. “He’s just gonna sit there.” 

“Not if there’s ninety bags of ice in it.” Max said, shooting Dustin a mocking look. He stuck his tongue out at her, turning to El as she brought up another important question. 

“But what if something happens? He breaks out or almost drowns or something?” They all thought about it for a moment, all turning toward Will when he had an answer. 

“You guys know that door on the shed, how it has that tiny window on it?” They all nodded hesitantly, as if trying to imagine where he was taking this. 

“Well, what if we put that door on the bathroom instead, that way we can keep an eye on him but still be out of the way if he somehow gets out.” 

“That’ll work.” Mike said. “It’s like the sauna except this time…” his gaze wandered over to Max, quickly dropping when her eyes met his.

“Except this time we won’t let him escape.” She whispered, keeping her gaze on Mike. He looked up at her, nodding just slightly, an understanding between the two of them, because El had been in just as much danger as Billy had been that night. 

“Then we need to get this done, tonight. Steve could be here at any time and we need Lucas to be as ready as the rest of us to leave.” Dustin spoke up. 

“It’s already ten-thirty.” He added, checking his watch. “If we hurry we can be done before midnight.” 

“You guys get to work on the door then. I just—I wanna do something first…” Max said after a while, not even realizing when her gaze dropped to her hands. 

“Max, you can go see Lucas, it’s ok.” El said, instincts kicking in as soon as her friend had started to avoid eye contact. “We’ll get it all ready.” Max smiled, looking around at the others, who all nodded. 

“Operation save Lucas is a go.” Dustin said, clapping his hands as he stood up. “Chop chop.” The other four let out a groan, standing up to follow him. 

“You might wanna take his spot as leader real quick.” Max whispered as she brushed past Mike. “Or this is gonna be a looooong night.” 

_______________________________________

  
  


“We got the door set up.” El said, stopping in the doorway to lean against the doorframe. “Are you ok?” 

Max looked back from where she was sitting beside Lucas’s bed once again, giving El a tight smile. 

“Yeah. I’m ok just…” she turned back around, facing Lucas again. “just a little nervous.” El made her way into the room, pulling the other chair over and sitting down beside Max. 

She was holding onto Lucas’s hand, her thumb rubbing over the back of his knuckles gently. Her face looked a little paler than it had in the living room awhile ago, a faint flush on her cheeks and neck, as if she’d been crying, but El saw no sign of tears. She knew sometimes Max got that when she was panicked, usually during an anxiety attack, but she looked fine. 

“You sure you’re ok?” She asked gently. Max nodded, but wouldn’t look at her. 

“I just...keep thinking about everything that could go wrong. Like Billy. I don’t want to think about it but it just happens and…” she swallowed, screwing her eyes shut to try to regain her composure. 

“It seemed like such a good idea at the time but, what if it doesn’t work? What if it hurts him or...worse? What if he goes insane and doesn’t remember me—any of us?” 

“Hey. There's a lot of “what if’s” but if we want to even have a  _ chance _ to save Lucas, we need to be able to take those risks. He told you to do it, he wants you to.” El whispered. 

“Yeah but Will also told us to close the gate even though he knew it would kill him.” She whispered, her words strained. 

“He’s still in there. He  _ knows  _ I can’t lose him but he also knows that may be the  _ only _ way to beat this thing. Lucas always thinks about other people before himself and that’s what’s scaring me the most.” 

“Max.” El whispered, leaning over to pull her friend into a hug. Max sunk into her, letting out a shaky breath. 

“I’m so sick of being scared and worried. I’m never like this and I don’t know why it’s affecting me so much but I just want it to stop.” 

“It’s affecting you because you love him. It’s hard seeing the people you love go through something hard, I know. But Lucas is strong, he’s  _ so _ strong. If  _ anyone  _ could fight this thing, it’d be him. We just need to trust him right now, ok?” Max nodded, but didn’t make any move to take her head off El's shoulder, grounding her, stopping her thoughts from spiraling out of control. She wasn’t alone in this, Will had said it himself:  _ You’ve been doing so much for Lucas. Let us help you.  _

“You’re right.” She said suddenly, her voice strong and full of confidence as she lifted her head from her friends shoulder. 

“He’s strong. He’s still in there, fighting. It’s up to us to finish the job now.” For the second time that night, Lucas’s words popped into her mind, this time remembering what he’d told all of them the day they’d realized Steve and the others weren’t coming back. 

_ “We’re a family, you guys. Who else has ever been there when something bad has happened? It’s always been the six of us, and it always will. We’re going to survive this, all of us, together. No matter what it takes.”  _

“We’re going to survive this, all of us, together.” Max echoed out loud. 

“No matter what it takes.” El whispered from beside her. 

“No matter what it takes.” She repeated, looking up to give El a smile, a real, true, genuine smile for the first time in a while. In all the fear and anxiety she’d never really realized how lucky they all were to still have each other, but now, as she noticed how willing everyone else was to help Lucas, she realized that he'd been right. They were a family. It had always been the six of them, together, taking on the world. 

Someone cleared their throat from behind them, forcing the two girls to turn around to find Dustin in the doorway. 

“We uh, we got it finished.” He said awkwardly, gesturing further down the hall. “Mike and Will said they could get him ready, I just need some help with the ice.” 

“Ok.” The two answered, El standing up to follow Dustin. 

“Coming?” She asked, looking back to where Max was still sitting beside the bed. 

“Yeah.” The redhead mumbled, turning to the bed for the last time.

“I’ll see you soon.” She whispered to Lucas, standing up and gently letting his hand fall back onto the mattress. “Promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I haven’t posted in awhile and that this chapter is so boring. I’ve been trying to make it interesting the entire time I’ve been not posting but I couldn’t do anything about it. Next chapter should be interesting. Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	14. Gone

“Is that enough ice?” Max asked, wiping her forehead with her sleeve. There was a total of about twenty bags of ice laying on the bathroom floor, the tub currently filling up slowly with cold water. 

“Few more bags.” Dustin panted, taking off his hat to push his sweaty hair out of his face. “We might as well use all of them, just to be safe. We’re not gonna be here long enough to use them for anything else anyways.” Max and El nodded in agreement, grudgingly following him back down the hall toward the kitchen freezer. 

As they passed Jonathan’s room Max couldn’t help but look inside. Mike and Will had stripped Lucas down to only a pair of basketball shorts. He was currently sitting passed out in one of the office chairs, his wrists and ankles bound by some extra rope they’d found in the shed while they’d been clearing it out. Max swallowed as she caught a glance at the bruises on Lucas’s chest, turning a dark greenish-yellow color that probably looked way worse than it actually was. He looked so beat down, so worn out, that it made her feel guilty they were going to put him through more pain, even if it was to save him. She swallowed, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from him, returning to the task at hand. 

She followed El and Dustin into the kitchen, grabbing two of the remaining five bags and hauling them to the bathroom. They weren’t necessarily heavy, just dead weight that she’d been carrying for almost half an hour straight that was making her arms sore. 

“Now what?” El asked, panting as she dropped her final bag on top of the pile in front of them. 

“Load it all into the tub.” Dustin said, grunting as he dropped one off his shoulder, throwing the other down on top of it.

“I got some pocket knives from Will’s room to make it a little easier.” He pulled out three small knives from his pocket and handed one to each of them. “Just make sure you don’t leave it in here for Lucas.” He teased, before quickly looking over at Max, El shooting him a dirty look. 

“Sorry…” he mumbled. “Too soon.” The three didn’t talk much as they worked, slowly but surely loading more and more ice into the tub, the mountain in the middle almost more than the water already. 

“Are we sure we need the rest?” Max asked as she finished dumping another bag. “We have at least ten more bags and the ice is literally three-fourths of the bathtub.” She said, looking over to El as she pulled the thermometer out of the water.

“Plus we’re already at ten degrees.” She added, the two girls turning toward Dustin. “Lucas told me one time the recommendation for an ice bath is fifty to sixty. We’re forty degrees below, at least. Shouldn’t that be cold enough?” 

Dustin nodded, shivering as he pulled his jacket around him tighter. Max felt herself subconsciously doing the same. 

“Yeah, it should be fine. We’ll just leave the extra bags in here, I can already feel it getting colder anyways.” 

“Good.” Will said, appearing behind them in the doorway, making the three of them jump as they turned towards him. “Cause Lucas is starting to wake up. If we want to do this we have to do it  _ now.”  _

Max gulped, turning her attention to the water as she pretended not to hear Will talking to Dustin, pretended not to hear how he was describing how Lucas was reacting. She tried to pretend she hadn’t been the one to suggest tying him down, and trapping him in a room, just like they’d done to Billy. She kept getting that antsy feeling like something bad was going to happen, even though she knew it was just her anxiety about doing this. 

_ “Lucas please.”  _ Her own voice echoed around in her own mind _. “Please tell me how to fix this. I can still save you.” _

“ _ You can’t save me.”  _ Lucas’s voice snapped back. 

“ _ If you save me, everyone else will die. Including you. I can’t hurt you Max.” _

“ _ Are they following us?”  _ Her voice echoed again, another conversation with him playing in her mind. 

_ “I don’t know...maybe.”  _

_ “What if we’re leading them back to the others.” She whispered. _

“ _ We won’t. It’s almost like there’s a line at the edge of the forest before the Byers. They hardly ever cross it, and if they decide to, Will and Dustin have installed security.”  _

_ “I hate you.”  _ It was Lucas this time, making her flinch as she remembered the way he’d snapped at her. “ _ I’ve always hated you. You always have to be the hero don’t you Max?”  _

“ _ Oh, did that hurt? Good. Because you ruined my life.”  _

_ “Lucas. Please. Just listen to me-”  _

_ “No! You don’t know what you’re doing! You have no idea! You’re going to kill me! Just like you killed Billy!”  _

She swallowed, her throat constricting tightly. Her hand squeezed the knife in her hand tighter, her vision slowly going blurry, making her dizzy. She looked down at the water as a couple tears rolled down her cheeks, falling into the water below, she quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of her hoodie. 

“Max?” El whispered from beside her, carefully peeling her fingers away from the knife and pulling it away from her. “Hey.” 

Max swallowed again, forcing herself to breathe, forcing the tears to stop, because she wasn’t going to cry anymore. The hand that had previously been holding onto the knife squeezed into a fist at her side as she glared down at the water. 

“We have to kill it” She growled. “I  _ want  _ to kill it.” 

“I know, Max, I know. Me too.” 

“For good. I want to make it hurt as much as it hurt all of us, and then I want to kill it.” She turned toward her, a fire lit in her eyes that El had only heard Lucas describe that one night Billy had attacked them. 

It was determination to gain control. Max wanted to have the upper hand this time. 

“Dustin is there any way we can make it colder?” Max asked, turning her head to look at the boy over her shoulder, interrupting his conversation with Will as he turned toward her. He sat up a little, looking back at her as an idea materialized in his expression. 

“Well, if we could get the AC on…” he started, clearly trying to calculate the best way for it to work in his mind. 

“Is there a way you can redirect all the air so it only works here in the bathroom?” Will asked from the doorway, starting to catch on, glancing nervously back down the hallway. Max knew that look on his face. 

They were almost out of time. 

“I could but...it could take awhile, maybe even hours. The AC isn’t connected to the computer so I would have to manually mess with the machine.” Dustin said, taking off his hat again and running his fingers through his curly hair as he thought, letting out a nervous breath. 

“Dustin.” Max started carefully. “We don’t  _ have  _ hours. We need this done, as soon as possible.” 

There was what sounded like an angry scream from the bedroom, all of their gazes snapping toward the doorway as the sound was followed by Mike’s panicked shouts calling for Will to come back. 

“Maybe sooner” she mumbled. 

“We need to get him in there now, Will! He’s waking up and he’s not happy that he’s tied up!” They heard Mike saying once Will had disappeared down the hallway. 

“Dustin…” Max said, the boy's attention snapping back to her once again. “Try.” He nodded, standing up and disappearing down the hall after Will, the sounds of Lucas struggling against Mike and Will echoing down the hall to them. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” El whispered. 

“Yeah.” Max responded, picking up the knife off the floor and folding it shut. “It’s the only way to...to get him back.” She slid the weapon into her pocket, her fingers lingering around it for a moment before she let it go, her mind wandering to the fact that less than an hour ago, she’d been holding a knife against his chest while he yelled at her to kill him. “We have to do it.” 

_______________________________________

Max didn’t like watching the way Mike and Will dragged a still half-asleep Lucas into the bathroom, seeing the way that he struggled against them on the instincts of the Mind Flayer, always trying to break free. She didn’t like seeing the way they practically tossed him into the bathtub, water and ice spilling over the edge and soaking into the carpet in the middle of the floor. She didn’t like that Will had just locked the door, slipping the key into his jeans pocket, trapping Lucas inside, alone, but she knew they  _ had  _ to do this. She  _ knew _ this was the best thing for him, and he’d thank her later, no matter how much he hated her right now, no matter how much he would tell her to let him out and that it was hurting him, that she had to be strong. For him. 

She reminded herself this, over and over as Lucas started to wake up just on the other side of the door. 

Somehow she and Will had ended up in the front, crowding in front of the little window to watch him. It made her think of an animal in a zoo, only there for the sole purpose to entertain them, it made her stomach twist into knots as she swallowed down the bile in her throat. 

_ For Lucas.  _ She kept reminding herself.  _ You’re doing this for him.  _

The temperature of the water woke him up fast enough, but not before he realized he was trapped. He started to struggle with the ropes tied around his ankle and wrists, yelling out in frustration as he tried to find a way to get his hands free from behind his back. 

“Max!” He screamed, making her start. “Let me out of here!” He sounded so much like Billy that she felt the fear rising again, the same fear she’d felt as Billy had attacked her, almost killing El as she stood behind Lucas, knowing there was nothing she could do. She stared blankly back at him through the small window, keeping her emotions hidden. 

“This isn’t funny, Max! Untie me! Let. Me. Out!” 

“Hey.” Will whispered, making her jump. She’d forgotten he was beside her. She tore her gaze away from Lucas, who was currently thrashing around so much that the tub was still overflowing, but the water level was still up to his chest. 

“No matter what he says, you have to remember it’s not really him, ok?” She forced herself not to look into his eyes, because she knew if she did she would lose her cool, instead nodding as she focused on a point over his right shoulder. 

“Max!” She turned her attention back to the small window, watching as Lucas tried to brace his feet against one side of the tub, lifting his body higher with the other, but it only resulted in him slipping and falling under the water for a moment, before he pushed himself back up into a sitting position, coughing up some of the water he’d unintentionally swallowed. 

“Max. Please it’s me.” He whimpered, tears starting to fall down his already wet cheeks. She felt her heart break into a million tiny pieces, but she knew she couldn’t do anything. “Max I promise I won’t hurt you. Please just let me out.” 

She took a deep, shaky breath, her hands squeezing into fists at her sides. 

_ No matter what he says, you have to remember it’s not really him.  _

“I’m scared, Max.” She felt her hand moving toward the doorknob, and she tried to stop it, but before she could touch it Will reached forward, pulling her hand back with his own. She breathed out a silent breath of relief that he had stopped her. 

“Look.” He whispered. She focused on Lucas, trying to see what Will was talking about when she noticed it. She could see the way the muscles in his bare back were flexing, moving a certain way as he tried to free his hands from the rope. But he was also reaching, pushing himself up with his feet as he tried to hook his hands around the faucet, as if enough force would cause the rope to snap if he could just get it around it. 

“He’s just trying to distract you.” Will whispered. “Like Billy did. He’s making you feel sorry for him so you let your guard down, so that he can escape and attack you when you least suspect it. That’s not Lucas in there.” 

She tried to answer, but when she opened her mouth she found it dry, no words coming out. Will squeezed her hand, and she looked down, only then realizing that she was still holding onto him. The feeling of his hand in hers was suddenly grounding her to reality, stopping her thoughts from spiraling as she focused on the fact that he was  _ real.  _ He was solid, and here, and he wouldn’t let her do anything stupid, that’s why he had stopped her. 

“It’s not cold enough.” She noticed. “It’s not working.” 

“It  _ is  _ working.” He insisted. “See the little black lines forming on his skin. The cold is pulling it out of him, just slowly.” 

“Yeah but cold doesn’t  _ stay  _ cold.” She reminded him. “He was burning up earlier and before long he’s going to get used to it, then it’s going to be too late to do anything about it.”

“Are you sure about that?” Max whipped around to see Dustin walking towards them, a huge smile plastered on his face. 

“What do you mean?” She asked. 

“Listen I may have totally bombed that mechanical engineering lesson but let’s just say I’m pretty good with my hands.” Max’s mouth fell open. 

“You-you did it?” He nodded triumphantly, pulling a small white remote out of his jacket pocket and waving it at her. 

“One push of this button and the air will all be channeled into  _ that one room _ . Put it on the lowest setting and boom. We’ve got ourselves our own homemade ice box.” 

Max was so happy she could’ve hugged him, but she didn’t, instead excitedly reaching out to snatch the remote from his hands. “How does it work?” She demanded, turning it over in her hands. 

“Whoa whoa whoa.” He said, taking it back. “We’ve only got one chance for it to work, if you push the wrong thing we’re screwed.” 

“Why would you make it like some  _ Mission Impossible one chance only or we die  _ thing?” She groaned, throwing her head back in exasperation. 

“Hey, Will’s house is—no offense—“ he said, turning toward Will, who held his hands up as if to say “none taken”. “—older and doesn’t have very high, updated technology if you haven’t noticed.” 

“Just turn on the dang machine.” She said, rolling her eyes as she turned back to the door. Lucas had gotten absolutely nowhere with the rope, yelling out in frustration as he tried once again to free himself. 

Dustin shook his head, scoffing because Max hadn’t acted as impressed as he hoped, but he also knew she was already stressed, so he nevertheless pressed the button, starting up the machine. 

“Hey Mike.” Max said, keeping her gaze locked forward as she heard the AC pick up in the bathroom, a small draft blowing at their feet under the crack in the door. 

“Yeah?” The taller boy responded from behind her. 

“Is that rope gonna get looser in the water?” She asked as Lucas started to struggle even more against the sudden burst of cold air. 

“It shouldn’t.” He responded. “I made it tighter than it was last time, even if it loosens it should still be too tight for him to slip out of.”

“MAX!” Lucas growled. The black veins had started to become more noticeable because of the cold air, spreading down his back and around arms and up his neck. 

“Aghhhggggggg!” He yelled out, his voice sounding deeper than it usually was, dangerous. “LET. ME. GO.” 

Max let out a shaky breath, rocking slightly as she felt tears start to build in her eyes. Because he was in pain, and he had always been there to help her when it was her in pain, but now she was just letting it happen, watching him struggle and not even trying to stop it. 

“Will.” She said, swallowing when she found her voice stronger than he’d expected, even though she felt as if anything could break her if it really wanted to. “I have to help him.” 

“You are helping him. But you can’t go in now.” He whispered. “It’s not gone yet.” 

“It’s hurting him!” 

“I know. I know, but it’ll all be worth it in the end. I promise.” 

“He would never let me suffer and now I’m watching it kill him.” She whispered. “It’s too late for me to fix it.” 

“Hey. You’re not giving up on him yet. Not now. We’re so close, ok. Just...breathe. I know, it’s hard. He’s gonna be ok.” 

She did as he said, taking a deep breath to slow her racing heart, but just then Lucas let out an inhuman scream, making her jump as he started to shake like Will had again. The water around him that wasn’t currently spilling over the sides had started to turn an oily black, his eyes rolling back in his head. 

“What’s happening?” She asked. 

“Poison.” Will whispered. “I—I think it—“ before he could finish, Lucas stopped shaking as suddenly as he’d started, slumping against the side of the tub, limp as he started to sink into the murky water. 

“Will unlock the door.” Max said firmly, continuing to look through the window. 

“Max we don’t know—“ Will started, but she spun towards him, cutting him off. 

“He just passed out! Open the door!” Will swallowed, but stared back at her confidently.

“Max.” 

“Open. The. Door.” She growled through her teeth, her hands squeezing into fists at her sides. Knowing he wouldn’t win, and that there was no point in fighting her about it, Will sighed, his guard dropping slightly as he stepped forward, pulling the key out of his pocket and inserting it into the lock.

Before he’d even finished twisting the doorknob Max was already pushing her way into the bathroom, a burst of cold air shooting out into the hallway, making the others shiver, but her focus was solely on Lucas, who was starting to slip under. She didn’t even register the cold.

“Mike help me.” She said automatically, slipping her arms under Lucas’s as Mike rushed in after her. She had to admit that he was heavier than he looked, especially while he was limp, even with Mike helping her lift him out of the water and setting him gently on the rug. She pulled the pocket knife out of her pocket, flipping it open and cutting the ropes off of his wrists before letting Mike prop him up against the wall, his head rolling to the side as it fell against his shoulder. 

“Hey, Luke.” She whispered, gently wiping some of the dark, murky water off of his face as she crouched over him. “We did it. It’s gone.” When he didn’t reply, she leaned back slightly, her eyebrows pressing together in confusion. 

“Lucas? Hey.” She whispered, her fingers instinctively coming up to brush against his cheek. He was freezing. “We did it, bud.” 

“Uh Max.” Mike said from behind her, but she ignored him, gently shaking Lucas by his shoulders. 

“Lucas wake up. Cmon.” 

“Max.” 

“Lucas. Cmon!” She begged, starting to panic. 

_ Why wouldn’t he wake up?  _

“Lucas wake up!” 

“Max!” 

“What!” She exclaimed, turning toward Mike, tears gleaming in her eyes because  _ this couldn’t be happening.  _

“He’s...I don’t think he’s…” Mike swallowed, not able to get the words out, glancing over at El for help. “Max I think he’s—“ 

“ _ Don’t _ even say it.” She said firmly. “Just don’t.” 

“Max…” Dustin started quietly. She ignored him too. 

“Lucas cmon quit playing. Lucas!” She said, desperation creeping into her voice as she shook him. “Please, it’s not funny. Get up!” She moved closer, her hands moving to the sides of his face, gently lifting his head up. 

“Please don’t go, please.” She whimpered, feeling the first tear fall down her cheek, but this time, she didn’t try to stop it.  _ He had to wake up.  _

“Lucas I can’t lose you. Please Lucas! Please get up. Lucas!” Max was suddenly hit with the memory of her leaning over Billy, begging him to get up, to not leave her alone with their horrible family. 

__

_ “Billy wake up. Billy get up. Please Billy.”  _

“No. No no no. I won’t lose you too. Lucas please you have to get up.” 

She was remembering too much, things she’d talked to him about only days before, as well as things that had happened in the past. Her memories of him were all slowly leaving with him, just like she’d feared while talking to Will. 

_ “Because I love you and you’re all I have left. I can’t let myself lose you like I lost everyone else!”  _

“Lucas.” She whispered, finding her voice stronger than she’d expected. “Cmon.” 

_ He was screaming for her, only for her to find him pinned under a demodog. She shot the rifle without thinking. Hugging him close all while trying not to let her thoughts spiral.  _

_ “Are you ok?”  _

_ “I’m fine. You owe me though.”  _

“Please.” A couple more tears escaped, trailing down her face. 

_ There was a man, a bloodied body lay beside him. Max pulled Lucas closer, just to make sure he was really still with her. The man was screaming. Lucas was pulling her behind a tree, hiding her from view. There was a monster, killing the man. She was crying. She was scared.  _

_ “I let you down. I’m sorry.”  _

_ “You didn’t let me down.”  _

_ “I’m not brave, Lucas. I’m scared. I want to go home, please I don’t want to do this anymore.”  _

“No.” She breathed out. “No. Lucas. Please. I need you.” Tears were flowing quickly now, but her attention was locked on him, watching for any sign of movement, of waking up. 

_ He was pointing a weapon at her. Scaring her. She was crying again, fully ready to die just so she didn’t hurt him. He was crying, begging her to help him. Then he was screaming again, shaking violently like Will had when Mike had described it.  _

“You’re the only family I have, Lucas. I won’t lose you too.” She choked. 

_ They were at the snowball, she was nervous as she danced with him, but she wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.  _

_ Lucas was officially asking her out for the first time, stumbling over his words and gesturing awkwardly until she helped him out.  _

_ They were at the arcade, teasing Dustin as Max passed her record on Dig Dug for the fifth time that week.  _

_ They were sitting in his bedroom, studying for a Science test they had the next day because she was struggling with her schoolwork and it didn’t help to be at home.  _

“I  _ can’t _ lose you.” She managed, her voice breaking from the strength it had held earlier, sounding much more vulnerable and scared than she’d wanted it to. 

_ Lucas was tossing skittles to her from across the room while she caught them in her mouth, smiling at the way he cheered each time she caught them, like he’d never seen anything cooler in his life.  _

_ He was holding the ice pack against her face as she sat on the stretcher outside the burning mall, sniffling and shaking in the rain as she pulled the blanket further around herself.  _

“Lucas please don’t go.” She was breathing quickly and heavily, but couldn’t breathe at the same time. Everything was happening too fast, but not fast enough. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think, everything around her slowly disappearing. 

_ He was beside her when she broke down after school one day, panicking because she was too scared to go home.  _

_ She was hugging him close because he’d just found out his grandma had passed away, and she knew how he felt. She didn’t want to wish the same pain on him.  _

_ She was at his first basketball game, cheering for him louder than anyone else in the Party was. And she didn’t care that she was embarrassing him.  _

“No.” She whimpered. The others all shared a look, all trying hard to keep their composure while Max slowly broke down. “Lucas…” 

_ He was there when she had her first panic attack, not even worried about the fact that he would get in trouble for skipping class to help her.  _

_ She was alone now, in an empty house. Crying silently in her bed as she called Lucas on his radio. She was listening carefully as he whispered reassuringly. He didn’t know that her mom was gone, but it didn’t matter. He was focusing all his attention on her, just to make sure she was ok, even though it was four in the morning.  _

_ The alarm was going out, telling everyone to stay in their homes, the six of them huddled together in front of the tv as they watched clips of Demodogs destroy the town, their homes.  _

“Lucas. Please don’t leave me alone. You promised. You promised we’d get through it all together please. Lucas...” She pulled back from him, falling back onto the rug as her tears fell freely. She gasped out a shaky breath, her vision blurring. He was gone. She knew he was. 

_ Gone.  _ She let out another shaky breath, desperately trying to control herself, but it was as if that one little word broke everything inside her. 

“Max.” El whispered gently, kneeling beside her. 

_ Gone.  _

“He promised.” She gasped. “He promised he wouldn’t leave me alone.” 

“And he didn’t. We’re here, Max. It’s ok.” 

“It’s not ok!” She burst, turning toward her friend, making her jump back. There were more tears building, faster than she was crying them. “He’s  _ gone _ . The most important person in my life is  _ gone _ and  _ no one _ knows what it’s like.” As soon as she said the words out loud she realized how real it was, her anxiety rising even more, her breathing quickening. 

“Max-“ El started, but she quickly turned toward Lucas again, her breathing becoming scarily erratic. 

_ Gone. Gone. Gone.  _

“Lucas, please you  _ can’t _ go. I  _ need _ you. Lucas wake up!” She cried, moving toward him again, her hands closing around his shoulders, his bare skin cold against her palms. Mike moved forward, pulling El up and back towards the rest of them as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

“Hey. It’s me. It’s Max. Cmon wake up.” She whispered, moving to cup his face in her hands as she leaned her forehead against his. 

“Max he’s-“ El started, but Max pulled back to look at him, her hands slowly falling down his shoulders and to his arms. 

“Lucas please I love you so much. I  _ love _ you.” She choked, leaning forward against him again, her head falling against his chest. “I don’t want to lose you too. Lucas I’m so scared please.” She whispered. 

The other all took shaky breaths as they silently started the cry from where they all stood behind her. Not only had Max lost the person she loved but they’d all lost their best friend, they’d managed to save one, but not the other. Mike pulled El closer, squeezing her hand as he squeezed his eyes shut, tears falling down his cheeks. Will watched sadly, feeling a sudden guilt that he was alive instead of Lucas, because Max needed him a lot more. Dustin ran his hands through his hair, quickly leaving the room as his composure started to slip away. 

Max pulled Lucas closer, hugging him as if she’d never let go, because she wasn’t sure if she could. 

Finally, after several moments, Will took a shaky breath, mustering up the rest of his courage and stepping forward, carefully lowering himself down next to Max, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Cmon Max.” He whispered shakily. “Cmon.” He gently pulled her back, and she followed until her brain seemed to catch up with her actions, sending her into a panic. 

“No! No, I can’t leave him too!” She yelled out, reaching for Lucas as Will pulled her back. “No! Will let me go, I won’t lose him! No!” 

“Max.” Mike said weakly. 

“Shut up!” She yelled, spinning towards him and standing up so that she was eye to eye with him. You never cared and now he’s gone!” She saw the flash of hurt in Mike’s eyes, but frankly she didn’t care. 

“Max don’t say that.” El whispered, feeling Mike tense at her words. 

“You still  _ have _ Mike!” Max yelled, turning toward her friend, her face red with anger but her eyes still full of fear. ”You’ve  _ always _ had Mike! I had  _ no one  _ until I met Lucas and now he’s getting taken away from me  _ just like everyone else! _ ” El froze, a couple more tears trailing down her cheeks. 

”I-I…” she started, trying to find the words, a way to tell Max she understood perfectly what she was feeling, but nothing seemed like the right thing to say to calm her down from her panic. 

“He’s the only family I have.” Max whimpered. “I don’t wanna be alone again.” Will pulled her close, letting her collapse against him as she finally let all her fear out, crying into his t-shirt. 

She was shaking uncontrollably, reminding her that the last time she’d been this scared she’d had Lucas to hold onto, and now she’d never get to again. That only made her cry harder, because now she was imagining the rest of her life without her best friend. Finding the Sinclair’s, growing up, going to college, all without him. 

“Lucas.” She whimpered, a sob tearing out of her throat as a fresh round of tears leaked from her eyes. “No. No please no.” 

Suddenly Lucas gasped, sitting up slightly, and she pulled back from Will to look at him, bleary eyed from crying. 

“Max?” He managed, his voice rough and raspy. She slowly kneeled in front of him, a small smile spreading on her face as she looked at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“I love you.” She breathed out a sigh of relief, pulling him into her arms and hugging him tighter than she ever had in her life, and she didn’t even care that he was soaking wet. Her fingers curled into his hair as she pulled him even closer, burying her face into his shoulder. His arms moved toward her weakly, his fingers reaching out to hold onto the fabric on the sides of her shirt tightly as he leaned against her. 

Max sniffled, letting out a watery laugh. “You’re ok.” She whispered, talking more to convince herself than him. “You’re ok.” He was shaking just as much as her, though she wasn’t sure if it was for the same reason. 

“Why’re you crying?” Lucas asked innocently, pulling away to look at her as if he truly had no idea how much he had scared her. 

“I thought I’d lost you forever.” She whispered, laughing bitterly, looking into his eyes.  _ His eyes  _ for the first time in almost a week. They were the chocolate golden brown eyes of Lucas Sinclair, not the dark cold emptiness the Mind Flayer held. 

“I’m right here.” He whispered back, finding just enough strength to rub his hand up her arm. “Right here.” Max hugged him again, leaning comfortably against him as she held him close. The others watched as Lucas’s eyes fluttered closed as he leaned against her shoulder, his fingers feeling around the fabric on the back of her shirt, slowly rubbing her back until he pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her like she’d been away on vacation for years. He leaned his head against hers, the two of them fitting together perfectly as they held the other. 

“They’re alive.” Max finally whispered to him. 

“Who?” He asked, making no move to pull away, comfortable where he was at the moment. 

“Your family. Steve and the others all found them. They’re coming to get us so we can go home.” 

“That’s—that’s great.” Lucas laughed. “But um, Max?” She hummed in response, lifting her head a little from his shoulder. 

“Hm?” 

“I’m really cold.” She pulled back, giving him an apologetic look. 

“Oh yeah, sorry. Um, Will. Can you go get a towel?” Will nodded, disappearing down the hallway. 

“Hey Mike.” Lucas said, smiling up at his best friend. “Never thought I’d see you crying over me.” He teased. 

“Shut up.” Mike said, smiling as he kneeled down in front of his friend, pulling him into a hug. Max smiled, standing up to give the boys some space. She turned towards El, her smile dropping as she looked at her. She’d yelled at El, wanting her to feel all the pain she’d been feeling, and she knew that wasn’t fair. Because El had been trapped in a lab for twelve years, and hadn’t seen Mike for a full 353 days, all while he thought she was dead. 

“Hey.” She whispered, moving to stand beside her best friend. “I—I’m sorry...about what I said. It wasn’t fair for me to try to make you feel what I was feeling, and I know you do understand what it feels like, I was just...scared and I felt like it was unfair but…” 

“It’s ok.” El whispered when Max didn’t continue. 

“It’s not.” 

“Maybe not. But I forgive you anyways.” The girls smiled at each other, staying in comfortable silence between the two of them while Mike and Lucas whispered together, Mike most likely catching the other boy up on the last three days. 

“Heads up!” Will called, throwing a towel at Lucas from the doorway. 

“Nice to see you too.” Lucas said, pulling the towel off his head as he wrapped it around his shoulders. “Where’s Dusty Bun?” 

“He was in here, but he left when…” Will hesitated, looking around at the others. “...yeah he left and now he’s trying to contact Steve to see where they’re at and tell them you’re ok.” 

“Oh so he doesn’t want to see me?” Lucas nodded. “Got it.” 

“You’re not a celebrity.” Max teased, picking up a small piece of ice and throwing it at him. He put a hand on his chest, mock offended.

“How dare you. If you must know I’m the favorite character on a world famous tv show.” They all rolled their eyes, talking over each other as they argued who would really be the favorite. 

“El and I are the only girls in a group of boys so...yeah that speaks for itself.” 

“Hey you’re both dating one of those boys.” Mike pointed out. 

“Oh c'mon there has to be romance.” El said. “You’re only there as my side kick.” The others exploded with laughter. Mike’s mouth fell open in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up into his hair as he laughed at El. 

“Ouch. Low blow.” 

“I’m kidding.” El clarified, hugging Mike. “You’re not  _ only  _ my sidekick.” 

“Boooooo.” Max and Will teased, making gagging noises at the two of them. 

“Hey, not to ruin the fun but—“ everyone turned toward Lucas as he started talking. He looked way more tired now, his eyes drooping as he leaned against the side of the tub. “But I haven’t eaten in like three days and I’m kinda starving.” 

“Yeah and you look like you got hit with a truck.” Max said, moving towards him and holding her hand out to him. He took it, pulling himself up slowly. His eyes wandered to the blackened water in the bathtub, his nose scrunching up in disgust. 

“ _ That  _ was inside of me?” Max nodded, dropping his hand as she moved to stand next to him, wrapping her arm around his waist as he leaned against her. 

“Yep.” 

“Ew.” 

“Yeah.” They all agreed. 

“It’s late.” Mike said. “And we don’t know when Steve’s coming. You should get some sleep.” Lucas nodded, leaning a little heavier against Max. 

_______________________________________

“Hey, where’s Max?” El asked Will as she quickly ran into Jonathan’s room, where he was sitting with Dustin. 

“Uhh, out on the couch with Lucas I think. Why?” 

“Oh, Mike and I were just emptying the backpacks they took on their trip and I found something that was hers. I just wanted to give it to her.” El explained quickly, already starting to leave the room. “Thanks!” She called, making her way to the living room. 

Max was right where Will had said she was, on the couch. She was slumped asleep in the corner, her feet propped up against the coffee table as she leaned against her arm that was resting on the arm rest. Lucas was stretched out across the rest of the couch, also asleep, his head resting in Max’s lap. He’d changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, a gray zip up jacket wrapped around his shoulders, his arms crossed across his chest and his hoodie pulled over his head. 

They both looked exhausted. El knew Max hadn’t slept very well in the last three days, always waking up with a start even when she was being gentle when waking her up. As for Lucas well, being possessed by an interdimensional monster was pretty draining. He had, on the other hand, eaten an entire box of Mac and Cheese in under two minutes and had somehow managed not to throw it up, so at least there was some progress. 

El almost decided to leave them alone for awhile, because it was literally two-thirty in the morning, and she could just give Max her stuff tomorrow, but just then Mike came up behind her, reaching out for her carefully. 

“Hey.” He whispered, his hand closing around her arm. She whipped towards him, jumping a little because she hadn’t expected him to be there. 

“Uh, Dustin said we might all want to come in there. He’s getting something from the radio, and I don’t think it’s Steve.” She nodded, giving him a smile. 

“Ok. Let me just wake Max up and we’ll be in there.” He nodded, his gaze quickly flicking to Max and Lucas as he slowly dropped his hand from her arm and he made his way back down the hall. She was surprised by how quiet her steps were as she crossed the living room, reaching out to gently shake Max’s shoulder. 

“Max.” She whispered. The other girl's eyes opened slowly, looking around in front of her before she noticed El beside her, looking up sleepily. 

“What?” She mumbled. 

“Dustin’s getting something from the radio, but he doesn’t think it’s Steve. He thinks we should all come in there.” 

“It’s literally three in the morning.” Max groaned, leaning her head back against the couch. 

“It’s actually two thirty.” El corrected. Max rolled her head sideways to look at her. 

“It’s called rounding. Very important if you need to exaggerate to prove a point.” El huffed a laugh, Max sitting up a little more, reaching out to shake Lucas’s shoulder. 

“Luke.” 

“Hm?” He mumbled back, keeping his eyes closed. 

“Dustin needs us all for something.” 

“Tell Dustin to screw off.” Max bit her lip, holding back a laugh as she looked up at El. 

“He gets super cranky when he’s tired if you haven’t noticed from six months of living with him.” She whispered, before turning back to Lucas. 

“Seriously, Lucas, wake up.” 

“No.” He said simply. Max pulled his hoodie off, making him open his eyes to reach for it. 

“Hey!” 

“The faster we see what he wants the faster you can go back to sleep.” She reasoned. Lucas groaned, rolling off the couch and laying face down on the rug. 

“You’re so dramatic, now I know where Erica gets it from.” She teased. That seemed to get his attention, making him look up, an all serious look on his face. 

“I am  _ nothing  _ like Erica. She is a little devil child from the spawn of Satan I swear.” He pushed himself up to his knees, standing up. 

“If Dustin shows us anything under an alien communication interruption I’m going to be very mad.” 

“He’s on a roll.” El whispered to Max as they made their way down the hall. Max laughed, following El into the crowded bedroom, where Mike, Will and Dustin were already crowded around the radio on the desk. 

“Finally!” Dustin exclaimed. “Do any of you happen to speak Russian by any chance?” They all shook their heads in confusion. 

“Why?” Max couldn’t help but ask. Dustin didn’t say anything, simply turning up the volume louder to reveal what sounded like a Russian code, being repeated over and over again. 

“Убейте других детей. Оставь девушку.” 

“What’s it saying?” Lucas asked sleepily, yawning as he leaned against Max, wrapping his arms around her neck from behind. 

“Why do you think I asked if any of you spoke Russian?” Dustin exclaimed. 

“You solved the code the first time.” Max said, reaching up to hold onto Lucas’s arms as he rested his head against her shoulder. “Just do it again.” 

“Robin solved it the first time!” He said. “I have the books but I don’t understand it. Steve and I were practically useless.” Will opened his mouth to say something, but the Russian message was suddenly interrupted by Steve’s panicked voice. 

“Guys! Get out of there. They know where you are. They’re coming for you!” 

Dustin quickly moved to sit in the chair in front of the desk, reaching for the walkie. “Who is?” 

“The Russians!” Robin's voice echoed over Steve’s. “The message says “Kill the other children. Leave the girl alone.” They’re coming for El, you guys need to go. Now.” They all stood frozen, staring at each other in shock. 

“Mike.” Nancy’s voice came through, making the boy look up quickly, as if she was standing in the room. “Get out. Now. We’ll meet you somewhere, just hurry.” 

“Oh and whatever you do.” It was Steve again. “Do not go to—“ his voice cut out, leaving them in static, all breathing heavily. 

Their plans had changed. It was time to leave. 

_ Now.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re getting close to the end of this story, maybe 2-4 chapter at most, I’m not sure I guess we’ll see. Next chapter most likely should be out Tuesday because I’ve mapped it out and got ahead in writing it. Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	15. Weak

How the six of them had managed to pack up everything they needed in six backpacks and two duffle bags in a matter of ten minutes was a mystery. They’d snuck out the back, and were currently wandering through the forest, Max and Lucas in front with the gun and crossbow. 

Mike had insisted on taking it instead of Lucas because he was still weak, but like he had said before: 

“No one but me touches the crossbow.” 

“And me when I’m saving your life.” Max corrected. 

“Yeah that too.” He’d agreed.

The others all had various army knives and Mike had a pistol strapped to his hip that they’d found in the supplies room, just in case. 

“Guys.” Dustin whispered just as they were rounding the front of the house. “Look.” They all followed his gaze, watching through the trees as what looked like an entire swat team busted down the front door of the house, armed with guns of every kind. 

Not only did it scare them that they’d managed to get out just in time, but they all felt a little sad about it, they’d been living there for about six months now. It was home, but not anymore. Will looked the saddest. 

“Let’s go.” Lucas whispered, pulling on Max’s arm to get her to keep walking beside him. They all voted on no flashlights until they were at least to Lucas and Mike’s neighborhood, not wanting to draw attention from any wandering soldier. It wasn’t as hard as they expected, the moonlight illuminating the dirt path in front of them. 

Max glanced back at the others, who were about ten feet behind the two of them. “How’re you?” She whispered to Lucas, their shoulders brushing together. 

He glanced over at her, smiling softly. She’d missed it, his smile, he’d been so closed off and clearly not himself the past couple days, and now he was back, and she didn’t want him to go away again. 

“Tired. Feeling a little bit of Deja Vu if I’m being perfectly honest.” 

“Why?” He gestured around to the forest. 

“I may not remember much, but I do remember us walking around a lot, and kinda with Mike before that.” 

“How much  _ do  _ you remember?” She asked, adjusting her backpack further up her shoulders. 

“Just bits and pieces. I remember coming home with Mike, and the first day when we went to my house. After the first attack stuff is kinda blurry, I only remember a few things from that day, I don’t remember where we stayed that night or if I kept watch or anything.” 

“You had a nightmare.” Max offered. “Do you remember that?” 

“Most of it kinda felt like a nightmare.” He admitted. “So no not really. I do remember finding the fireworks though.” He grinned, gesturing to the duffel bag Will was carrying. She laughed, looking over at him. 

“Of course you do.” 

“Then there was this...man. I don’t know if I imagined that or not but—”

“You didn’t.” Max whispered. “It was pretty scary. Not gonna lie.” She wanted so badly to just grab his hand, to know for a fact that he was real, and close, but she knew it wasn’t the right time. She tightened her hold on the rifle. 

“We went to your house?” He continued, looking over at her for confirmation. She nodded. “You...you said something about your mom leaving.” He hesitated, noticing the way she tensed just slightly, her fingers twitching around the gun's handle. 

“Oh. Yeah. Guess I did.” She whispered, almost as if she forgot. He decided to keep going, knowing she didn’t want to talk about this now. 

“I remember I went into the bathroom to change, but then everything went black and suddenly you were there. After that I don’t remember anything at all.” 

“Not even the attack?” Max whispered. He shook his head. 

“No.” 

“Well that’s kinda lucky, I guess. You didn't have to feel it.” She decided on, knowing it probably wasn’t the best idea to mention he had almost killed her with the very crossbow he was now holding in his hands, the memory still freaked her out. 

“I felt it.” He whispered. “I also could hear you, but I couldn’t make myself move and I couldn’t respond. Everything was just black. It was kinda scary.” 

“I knew you could hear me.” She breathed, smiling slightly. “Because you always reacted.” 

“Yeah. I kept having these like...panic attacks I guess, but you were talking to me and at first I couldn’t focus on your words, but I knew it was you. I just focused on that. I could feel you running your hands through my hair and stuff too, that helped me relax. When you left I would start to panic, involuntary though, I couldn’t control it, it was like how El describes the Void. Nothing but darkness for miles. Eventually I could hear what you were saying, make small movements to communicate, stuff like that.” 

“The note.” She couldn’t help but ask. “How’d you come up with that?” 

“I don’t know.” He admitted. “It was as if my brain was separate from the Mind Flayer just long enough for me to make a code. I knew that if I said it outright the second he took control I’d rip it up or something, so I hid it. I was too stupid to figure it out after that, I just saw the kill me part and he apparently wanted that so…” he faded out, looking over at her. 

“Thanks for not though.” 

“Huh?” 

“Killing me. Thanks for not doing that.” She huffed a laugh. 

“No problem.” 

“Guys?” Will whispered. They all stopped, turning to look at him. “What’s that sound?” They all listened closely, hearing what sounded like voices, and they were close. 

“Run.” Lucas whispered, starting to jog. “Go c’mon.” 

They all took off down the path, careful not to trip on loose dirt or roots, but also trying to make as little noise as possible while running in the darkness. The voices weren’t getting any further away, now sounding louder and more hurried as they ran out into a clearing, in a neighborhood close to Max’s. 

“They’re gaining on us, what do we do?” El panted, clutching the stitch in her side as she bent over to catch her breath. 

“We can’t go to any of our houses. They have to know…” Max whispered to Lucas. 

“Where else could we go then?” He whispered. 

“Hello. We’re here too.” Dustin spoke up. “If you know a place then please, be our guest because they’re catching up.” 

The two made eye contact, thinking the same thing at the same time. 

“That’s too far.” Lucas whispered. “Besides if they know about it…” 

“We have to  _ try. _ ” Max insisted. “There’s not really anywhere else to go.” 

“Guys!” Mike hissed. “Wherever this is, let’s just get moving before they find us. I’d rather not die today.” 

Lucas smiled, an idea forming as he looked over at Max. “Can you still hotwire a car?” He asked. 

“Still?” Dustin practically yelled, who was immediately punched by Mike as he shushed him. 

“Hotwire?” El asked, sounding confused. 

“A freaking car?” Will exclaimed, still a whisper. 

“I don’t know. Plus the engine will be too loud. They’ll find us right away. No doubt they have their own car, and a more skilled driver.” Max said, ignoring the others surprised questions. She would rather not explain the whole junkyard incident of Lucas daring her to try hotwiring a broken car resulting in the two of them almost crashing into a river. 

“How about a golf cart?” Mike asked. Everyone turned toward him, their eyebrows furrowing together. 

“A golf cart?” They all asked, several versions of a mock tone. 

“Look, we got one like four years ago at a garage sale but we lost the keys for it. I’ve never used it before. It’s in the garage.” 

“Why did you get a golf cart?” Max asked, trying to imagine Mike playing golf in a collared shirt, striped pants and a hat all day, caddying around for his dad. 

“That’s not important right now ok!” He hissed. “Just go to my house. We’ll buy ourselves some time. Plus we can stock up on food or something if anything’s there.” One of the unknown voices called something out to one of the others, making them all jump. 

“It’s our only option at this point. I can try, just go.” Max said, starting to jog down the familiar road, staying in the shadows and avoiding the streetlights. They passed her house, which everyone glanced at, but she ignored it, wishing she could use her skateboard that was strapped to the back of her backpack and get as far away from it as she could, but she knew that would draw too much attention and her friends wouldn’t be able to keep up. 

Slowly but surely they made their way to Mike’s house, eventually losing the owners of the unknown voices. 

“Go through the back garage door. It’s never locked and it’s closer to the cart.” Mike whispered from behind her, Max quickly changing her path as she jogged to the back of the house, pushing the back door open and stepping into darkness. 

“Mike. Lights.” She whispered. 

“Left side on the wall next to the door.” She slid her hand up the wall, finding the light switch and flicking it on. The familiarity of the garage flooded back to them as they all remembered the memories of sneaking extra popsicles from the freezer during the summer and hiding in the garage to stay warm in the winter when Mrs. Wheeler forced them to go outside. For a moment Max wondered how they’d never noticed the golf cart, until she saw it in the corner with a sheet thrown over the top, practically blending into the tools and other junk around it. 

“Do you need anything?” Mike asked as they all crowded into the space in front of the door, Dustin shutting it behind them. 

“Wire cutters and some electrical tape.” She said immediately, tying her hair up into a ponytail as she unstrapped her board from her backpack, laying down on it to slide under the cart. Mike disappeared into the abyss of the garage, returning a minute later to kneel beside the vehicle and hand her the tools. 

She took them, quickly examining the engine, before sliding out from under the cart and standing up. She handed Lucas the tools, yanking the sheet off and throwing it to the side, throwing a lot of dust around the crowded space, making them all cough. It wasn’t anything special, just a regular white golf cart with dark green trim and seats. 

She climbed into the driver's seat, leaning down to examine the panel under the steering wheel as the others crowded around her, anxious to see what she was about to do. “Mike I need a flathead screwdriver too.” She said, holding her hand out as Mike reached onto one of the shelves he was standing next to, grabbing the screwdriver as if he’d memorized exactly on the shelf where it sat, passing it from El to her. 

She worked quickly, using the screwdriver to remove the four screws holding the panel into place, tucking them into the pocket of her jeans for later. She found the two wires connected to the cart's ignition, holding the screwdriver in her mouth as she held out her hand out to Lucas, who handed her the wire cutters without needing to be told. She cut the two wires, stripping the ends and handing the wire cutters back to Lucas again, who handed over the tape in exchange. She brought the two wires together, forcing the engine to turn over, the cart sputtering to life as she used the electrical tape to keep them together. The others all watched, impressed as she took the screwdriver out of her mouth and screwed the panel back on, looking up at them all nonchalantly. 

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.” 

_______________________________________

“Pretty sure there’s no such thing as “gunners” on a golf cart.” Max laughed, glancing over at El as she turned down another beaten down path, the cart bouncing around uncomfortably. She wouldn’t admit it out loud but Mike had made a good call, the golf cart wasn’t nearly as loud as a car would’ve been, but it was still fast enough to get there where they needed to go. 

Lucas and Mike had insisted on standing on the back of the cart with the rifle and crossbow so that they could shoot if they needed, though Max doubted any soldiers were on the backroads of Hawkins Indiana. If anything they were searching each and everyone of their houses to make sure they weren’t hiding. She was pretty sure the boys were just trying to look cool by doing something they’d seen in an action movie. 

“Where are we going exactly?” Will asked, leaning forward from where he and Dustin sat in the back seat, most of the luggage surrounding them, only Mike and Lucas still had their backpacks on. 

“Some place Lucas and I found. We‘re not sure  _ what  _ it is but it’s a good place to hide for now.” 

“You mean the passageway you found at Big Bradley’s?” Dustin asked, leaning forward beside Will. 

“Yeah.” Max mumbled, swerving slightly to avoid a giant dip in the path. 

“Watch it!” Mike called from the back, rubbing his head where a small branch had hit him. 

“Sorry!” She called back, rolling her eyes. “Lucas where do I go from here?” She called over her shoulder, keeping her gaze ahead. 

“Keep going straight until you get to the fork then go right!” He called. “Then you take a left and keep going straight for about half a mile.” 

“How’d you find this place?” El asked from the passenger seat as Max took the first right at the fork like Lucas had said. 

“Lucas was being obsessed with fireworks and just so happened to pull the perfect box off the shelf.” Max teased. 

“Hey it looked weird and I wanted to know what it was!” He said defensively. “How was I supposed to know a hole would open up in the wall?” 

“Wait so you’ve never actually gone into it, and now we’re relying on it for a place to hide?” Mike asked skeptically, looking over at Lucas. “That doesn’t sound like a very good idea.” 

“Well what else do you have, Mike?” Max asked as she took a left. “We can’t go very far on this thing and we need to stop somewhere to contact Steve.” 

“No, I'm not saying we shouldn’t just...anything could happen.” Max was about to answer when suddenly there was an ear-splitting bang, and a flash of blinding white light. Max felt the car jerk, and suddenly she was being thrown from the driver's seat. The ringing in her ears continued, the last thing she remembered before she blacked out was Lucas yelling her name. 

_______________________________________

Lucas opened his eyes slowly, blinking a couple times when he found his vision clouded and blurry, his ears were ringing, making it a hundred times worse. He pushed himself up from where he lay face down in his stomach, the backpack on his back weighing him down, his arms and legs felt weak, like they were full of lead, and he just barely managed to push himself into a sitting position before he collapsed back against a fallen tree trunk. He reached up, feeling his head, which was currently throbbing with pain. He pulled his hand away, not surprised to find it covered in blood. 

_ Great.  _ He thought, groaning.  _ Just great.  _

His crossbow and the rifle laid about five feet away, luckily they hadn’t flown into the bushes when they'd been thrown. He reached for them, securing his hands around each one and pulling them back toward himself as he started to cough, smelling the smoke before he saw the damage. 

A small patch of forest around them was smoking, not on fire, but they laid in a blackened circle that spread about a hundred feet around them on every side. Their luggage was scattered all over, the golf cart nowhere in sight, but what alarmed him most was that his friends were all unconscious in front of him. The closest was Mike, maybe thirty feet away from him, sprawled out on the forest floor. 

“Mike.” He croaked, finding his voice almost as weak as his strength. He forced himself to stand up, using the gun as a walking stick as he stumbled over to his friend, dropping to his knees as soon as he got close. “Mike.” He shook him, the taller boy groaning in pain. 

“What—“ Mike looked around, his eyes widening as he looked up at Lucas. He had a bruise on the whole left side of his face and cheek, his hair messier than it had been before, but no serious obvious damage like Lucas had. 

“You ok?” Mike whispered, gesturing to the wound on his head. Lucas nodded.

“Fine. “ 

“What happened?” 

“I don’t know. Some sort of...mine or something.” Lucas coughed, the smoke starting to burn his lungs. 

“But we need to go. If the soldiers heard that they’ll be coming soon.” Mike nodded, trying to push himself up, but as soon as he’d set his arm on the ground he fell back down, barely managing to catch himself before his chin hit the dirt. 

Lucas reached out for him, his hand closing around his arm as he helped pull his friend to his feet. Mike swore as he put pressure on his previously injured leg, wiping dirt from his pants as he looked around at the wreckage. Lucas handed him the rifle, and he took it without looking at him. 

“Whoa.” He muttered, suddenly spotting their friends. “Are they ok?” 

“I don’t know.” Lucas responded, already jogging towards Will, Mike disappearing from his line of view into the other direction.

Lucas kneeled down to where Will sat already propped up against a tree, a cut right above his eyebrow, the crimson red blood already hardened against his skin, turning the color of hardened mud. Lucas reached out and gently shook his shoulder. “Cmon Will, wake up. Can you hear me? Will!” The boy jerked awake, reaching out as he sucked in a breath, automatically coughing it back out as he found it filled with smoke. 

“Lucas w-what?” 

“No time to explain. We need to hurry. We have to get out of here before they come.” He didn’t have to explain, Will quickly pushed himself up, wincing slightly but seemingly having more strength then he and Mike had had. The smaller boy walked a couple feet, picking up his backpack from off the blackened dirt of the forest floor and slinging it over his shoulder. 

Lucas turned around, surprised to find Mike had already woken up Dustin and El, who looked to be in about just as worse of a condition as the rest of them, both sporting similar cuts and bruises. His eyes scanned the four of them, and then around the area, his heartbeat picking up when he didn’t see who he’d been looking for.

“Where’s Max?” He asked, his voice barely rising above a whisper. The others looked around quickly, their faces changing to the same horror that was probably painted on his face. 

“Max?” El yelled. “Max!” 

“Max!” Lucas yelled, his voice stronger than El’s, sounding louder as it echoed through the dark night. He didn’t care if anyone found them. 

A voice yelled back, sounding strained and broken. “Lucas!”

They all shared the same look, all quickly snatching up their remaining luggage and weapons as Lucas took off. He knew his friends were behind him when he heard the same rustling of the bushes that he’d just run through. Max’s voice got louder as he got closer, calling out his name as he dodged low hanging branches and pushed his way through the bushes around him.

Eventually he ran into a clearing, finding her pinned under their now wrecked, smoking golf cart, trying to free her leg. 

He froze momentarily, because that wasn’t what he had expected to see. The other four ran out of the shrubbery, crowding around him as Max continued to struggle, sounding beyond frustrated. 

“Hey.” He whispered gently, moving towards her and kneeling down beside her. “You ok?” 

“My leg is trapped under a freaking golf cart Lucas, I’m not ok!” She snapped, turning towards him so that he perfectly saw the tears building in her ocean blue eyes before she ducked away just as quickly, continuing to try to pull her leg out. 

“Hey.” He said calmly. “I’m gonna get you out of here. Ok?” She stopped struggling in defeat, looking up at him with more trust etched into her expression than he’d ever seen before. She was scared. 

He moved forward, his fingers curling under the siding as he tried to lift the vehicle from off of her leg, but he was just one person, and it didn’t budge. 

“Guys help.” He grunted, trying again, still getting the same result. In less than thirty seconds the others had rushed over to him, all positioning themselves as Lucas counted them down. 

“On three, ok? One two three.” They all groaned as they used their weight to push the cart up just enough for Max to scoot out from under it, dropping it again as soon as she was far enough away, panting for breath as they all jumped back to prevent smashing their own feet. 

She scooted herself into a sitting position, her back falling against the trunk of a tree as she winced in pain, a single tear cutting through the dirt on her face.

Now that the cart was out of the way he could see how bad it was. Her jeans were torn at the shin, revealing a nasty gash on her leg, the skin around it burnt and bleeding rapidly, staining her already partially blackened pant leg, looking very similar to Mike’s. She squeezed her eyes shut, leaning her head back against the bark as her hands squeezed into fists, clutching into the fabric of her hoodie sleeve, as if trying to relive the pain. 

“Hey.” Lucas whispered, crouching down in front of her, wiping the tear away with his thumb. She instinctively leaned against his touch, her hand reaching out to hold onto his wrist, as if making sure his attention was focused on her. 

“You have to go.” She whispered. “Get them all out of here before something bad happens.” 

“Max I’m not just gonna leave you here.” He laughed, as if the very idea was ridiculous. 

“Lucas I can’t even walk.” She scoffed. 

“Then I’ll carry you.” 

“No, you have to go find your family—“ 

“Hey.  _ Hey _ . They’re your family too. We’ll find them together.” 

“Luke—“ 

“I won’t just abandon you!” He saw a wave of emotion flash across her face, and he could tell by the way she ducked her head away from him that she was thinking about her mom. He got a flash of a memory, but it didn’t make any sense. 

_ “I don’t want to go, but I promise I’ll get you home first, just please don’t forget about me. Ok, Max?”  _

He looked at her, waiting for her to look up because he knew she was deciding what she wanted to say. When she finally did he was surprised to find that she didn’t talk to him, but instead looked over his shoulder at Mike. 

“You promised me.” She whispered. “Please don’t break it.” Lucas glanced at the others, who looked just as confused as he felt, all except for Mike. His expression was sad, and he swallowed as he met Lucas’s gaze. 

“What is she talking about?” He demanded. Mike opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. 

“Mike, please.” Max pleaded. Mike swallowed again as if it was getting harder to speak with every second he wasted. Taking a deep breath he finally stepped forward, pulling Lucas back by his shoulders and to his feet. 

“She’s right.” He whispered. “We’ve gotta go.” Lucas saw the other four gaping at Mike out of the corner of his eye. 

“I’m not just gonna leave her here to die alone in the middle of the forest.” Lucas whispered harshly, taking a step towards Mike. 

“Lucas.” Mike whispered, his voice firm. “If we stay here we’ll all die.” 

“Then we all die!” Lucas exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “The Party rule is you never leave a man behind!” 

“I know but-“ 

“But nothing!” Lucas yelled, poking Mike in the chest, making him step back. “You break a party rule you’re out of the party.” 

“Guess I’m out of the party then.” Mike whispered. 

“You’re not serious.” 

“I made a promise.” Mike whispered, taking a step back to increase the space between the two of them. “I don’t break my promises.” 

“So you’re just gonna leave her here? To die? Alone? Would you do that if it was El?” 

“Don’t bring her into this. Max made me promise what she wanted me to and I’m going to make sure I finish it.” 

“Over my dead body.” Lucas growled, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. Mike swallowed again, letting out a shaky breath. 

“You think I want to do this? To leave her? You said it yourself, don’t break a party rule. I’d be breaking one either way, but I’ve never broken my promises and you know that. You don’t understand Lucas. My hands are tied here.” 

“Oh and I wouldn’t understand anything about having my hands tied now would I?” Lucas spat at him. A flash of hurt passed over Mike’s face, his mouth tightening into a straight line. 

“If you wouldn’t leave El don’t even try to talk to me about leaving Max.” Lucas turned around, and Mike’s hand closed around his shoulder. 

“Hey. C'mon.” The taller boy whispered. “We have to get out of here.” 

“Get your hands off me.” Lucas said evenly, setting his jaw. 

“Lucas.” Max warned. He looked up at her, continuing to tense under Mike’s palm as she gave him “the look.” The one where her eyes widened, and she shook her head, just slightly, warning him to stop before he did something stupid. 

“I’m not going to tell you again, Mike. Get. Your hands. Off of me.” He growled, keeping his gaze on Max as she continued to shake her head. 

“Don’t.” She mouthed. 

“Dude I’m not trying to—“ but Mike never got to finish. Before he could stop himself Lucas spun around, his fist connecting directly with Mike’s jaw. The taller boy stumbled, but managed to stay on his feet, his hand coming up to touch the spot where he’d been hit, looking up at Lucas with a fire burning in his eyes as he spit some blood into the dirt. 

Lucas looked down at his hand, uncurling it from a fist and looking up at his best friend. “Mike.” He whispered. “I-I didn’t mean—“ 

Mike ran for him, tacking him like a football player and sending him sprawling in the dirt. They slid a couple feet, and Lucas felt himself getting madder by the second, because Mike hadn’t even let him finish apologizing. But if he wanted to fight, they were going to fight. 

He reached up, his fist catching Mike’s jaw again, knocking the boy off balance just enough for Lucas to pin him instead. 

He could hear the voices of their friends yelling at them to stop, to quit being stupid, but Mike still had the fire in his eyes, and Lucas didn’t doubt there was probably one in his too. Mike grabbed the fabric of his T-shirt, using it as leverage and throwing him off of him, knocking him under the chin in the process, all the while trying to be back on top to pin the other as the two of them threw punches back and forth, usually missing as they rolled around in the dirt. 

Suddenly Mike was yanked away from Lucas, practically flying into the air as Will pinned his arms behind him to hold him back. Dustin slipped his arms under Lucas’s, pulling him to his feet and copying Will’s hold. 

Lucas glared at Mike, seething as they met eyes. They’d fought before, but had never been in a full blown punching match. It almost felt good to get the anger out. Almost. 

“We’re not leaving anyone alone.” El started. “Mike I don’t care what you promised Max, we’re not gonna leave her to fend for herself while she’s hurt. And Lucas—“ he stopped struggling against Dustin long enough to look at her. “Let’s drop the Party rule punishments until after we’re out of the freaking apocalypse.” The two boys glared at each other again, but nodded to El, both mumbling agreements. 

Dustin and Will both released them, and Lucas slowly made his way over to Max, crouching in front of her again. He didn’t dare look at her, knowing she’d look just as disappointed as he felt in himself, instead he opted to tear a nearby leaf up into tiny pieces. 

“You shouldn’t have hit him.” Max whispered after a moment. 

“I know.” He whispered, feeling a sudden guilt as he remembered Billy beating Steve in the Byers living room.“I know.” She hesitated, looking up at the stars though the canopy of trees above them instead of him, a nervous habit she had, always finding something else to look at if she didn’t want to talk. 

“Lucas?” He looked up at her, surprising him when she wasn’t looking back. 

“Yeah?” 

“I know what I said earlier but, please don’t... don’t leave me here alone. I’m scared and I know I wouldn’t be able to defend myself.” She said softly. 

“I know.” He whispered, sliding his hands to the sides of her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I know you’re trying to be brave and you’re trying to protect me, but I don’t need you to do that right now. I promised we’d do this together and I meant it.” She let out a shaky breath, nodding as she looked away from him once more, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. 

“I’m not going anywhere, Max.” She let out another shaky breath that he knew she’d been trying to hold back, pulling him close as she buried her face in his shoulder. She let out a breath of relief, her shoulders relaxing as he cradled her head protectively against his shoulder, sinking into him as if she had actually been worried he’d considered leaving her. He knew she hated the side of herself where she allowed herself to be vulnerable, but she never seemed to hesitate around him, like she trusted him enough to let him help. 

“It hurts.” She whimpered. “My leg.” He pulled back just slightly, her hands resting on his arms as he looked down at her bloodied jeans. “It rolled and I just so happened to be lucky enough to…” 

“It trapped you.” He finished. She nodded.

“You don’t think you could walk?” 

“Not by myself, no.” She scoffed. ”Just...help me up and I’ll hold onto you.” 

“That’ll take too long.” He said. “We gotta find a faster way.” 

“You  _ are not  _ carrying me.” She said, pointing a finger at him. “I may be hurt but I’m not losing my dignity.” 

“You mean your pride?” He joked, glancing back at the gash on her leg. It was still bleeding heavily. 

She rolled her eyes, watching him closely as he took off his backpack, setting it beside the two of them and unzipping the smallest pocket, grabbing a roll of bandages. Gently, he moved forward, lifting her leg and wrapping it as best he could without being able to roll up her jeans, securing it into place. 

She couldn’t help but watch him, the way he bit down on his tongue when he was concentrating, his eyebrows furrowing together. There was already a bruise forming on his chin where Mike had hit him, and several others on his face probably from when he’d been thrown off the cart. It wasn’t until now that she hadn’t noticed the gash on his head. It wasn’t bleeding anymore but she could tell it had been, a small reddish-brown trail of blood traced down his face, stopping just above his cheekbone, there were also drops dried on the shoulder of his sweatshirt. 

He caught her staring, giving her a concerned look before she smiled, and it melted right off his face. “That should be enough for now.” He said as he finished the bandage, giving her a warm smile back. “You’ll be fine.” 

She reached up towards him, stopping him from standing up, her hand tracing along the cut just above his eyebrow. 

“You’re bleeding.” She whispered. He pulled her hand away, using it to pull her up off the ground. 

“It’s fine. Just a little cut. It doesn’t even hurt.” She hit him in the head. 

“Ow!” 

“You said it doesn't hurt.” 

“It didn’t until you hit me!” She smiled, holding back a laugh. He was fine. 

“Cmon. Get on my back, we’ll look at it when we get there, stitch it up if we need to.” She raised her eyebrows skeptically, staring back at him. 

“I’ll walk.” She decided, starting to move forward. As soon as she took a step, however, her leg almost collapsed from under her, Lucas catching her arm just in time. 

“Max, c'mon. I’ve given you a piggyback ride before, how is this any different?” 

“Because the first time I wasn’t relying on you because I couldn’t do it myself I just…” she swallowed, ducking her head. “If I’m too weak to do it myself then I’m dragging you all down.” 

“You’re not dragging us down.” He whispered. “And none of us are going to think you’re weak because you can’t walk after getting trapped under a two ton vehicle. You’ve gotten us this far, just let me help you.” She looked up at him, and he gave her an encouraging smile. “Please.” 

“Ok.” She nodded. “But if Dustin or Mike makes any jokes I’ll be sure to personally feed them to the demodogs.” 

“Hey, why me?” Dustin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air as Max jumped onto Lucas’s back, lurching uncomfortably when he stood up completely. “I mean, Mike I can see why but—“ 

“Hey!” 

“We’ve got to go.” Lucas said to the others, reaching down to grab his backpack off the ground, slipping it on backwards as Max wrapped her arms around his neck. “No doubt they’re still looking for us. We can’t stay out here.” 

“Then we go.” Mike agreed, surprising him by how calm he looked instead of mad with him. He smiled. “How much further?” 

“Only about half a mile.” 

“Then let’s go.” Will said, picking up one of the duffle bags and leading the way. 

_______________________________________

“You ok?” Lucas whispered, tilting his head up slightly toward Max. She nodded against his shoulder, lifting her head just enough to look back at him. He couldn’t see her very well in the darkness, but with her red hair pulled back from her face he could just make out her smiling weakly back at him. 

“Feeling a little sick though.” 

“We’re almost there.” He said, gesturing to where Will and Dustin had just walked out into a clearing, about fifty feet in front of them. She nodded, laying her head against his shoulder again. 

He was trying not to jostle her around too much, but he could see the bandage on her leg was turning a dark crimson red, meaning she was still bleeding...a lot, so he was trying to hurry. He knew her being sick was from losing so much blood, and maybe getting a little motion sick, but seeing the store just within reach lifted a little bit of the worry off his shoulder. 

They all froze when they heard an indistinguishable shout, even Max lifted her head as Lucas spun around, he could barely make out a couple flashlights, not too far behind them, but still enough that they were reasonably well hidden. 

“That’s the store. Right there across the street. Cmon.” Lucas said to Will, forcing his feet to move as he pushed his way in front of the others, practically jogging into the clearing and across the street. He ushered the four of them into the store, gently setting Max down and putting an arm around her waist as he helped her walk down the aisle, stopping in front of the display. 

“Which one is it?” Mike asked, throwing the rifle over his backpack. 

“Blue and gold box on the third shelf.” The voices were closer, making him antsy. They’d caught up. 

“Hurry, Mike!” Mike pulled the box off the shelf, immediately the passageway opening up, revealing a long, dark tunnel, a gust of wind blowing out of it just like it had the first time. 

“Dude that’s sketchy.” Dustin mumbled. 

“Doesn’t matter. We don’t have any other option right now.” Lucas grunted, gently tugging Max forward as he started to walk towards the door. “Go.” 

Mike went in first, he and Will pushing themselves in front of Lucas and Max, Mike pulling the rifle to the front of his body again, pointing it down the long, dark hallway. 

“Will flashlight.” He whispered. There was the click of the flashlight, and the corridor was bathed in light, the hole in the wall closing up behind them, trapping them inside, with nowhere to go but forward. 

“Wonderful.” Max muttered from beside Lucas. “Trapped in a creepy hole in the wall with no idea where it leads.” 

“Let’s find where it leads then.” Mike said, pushing forward. The hallway seemed to go on forever, and was unusually boring. There weren’t even torches on the gray wall to light the way. Eventually it opened up into a small room, just big enough for the six of them to crowd together. Just in front of them was a single silver door, a wheel in the middle of it, looking suspiciously like a door to a vault in a bank

“Do we go inside?” El asked nervously. 

“Not really anywhere else to go.” Lucas responded. He ducked under Max’s arm, handing her over to El, before he dragged Mike and Will to the door, the three of them twisting the wheel in the middle, the door groaning under its own weight as it slowly swung open. The boys pulled the door open, Mike and Lucas pointing their weapons ahead of them as they walked inside. 

They weren't expecting a bunker. 

The room was about the size of the living room and kitchen at the Byers house, just big enough to live in. There was a small kitchen area, a sink and a mini fridge with a single light hanging from the ceiling, a wooden table positioned in the center of the room. Just outside the kitchen there were a couple bunk beds and several cots, all neatly made. There were two small couches and a couple bean bag chairs, a closet-sized room that looked like a bathroom in the corner. 

“Where…” Max started, but Dustin cut her off. 

“Someone’s been living here.” He said, moving to pick up a candle sitting on the table in the middle of the room. There was a small flame lit inside of it, the wax of the candle almost gone. 

“We shouldn’t be here.” 

Suddenly there was a bang on the door, and the six of them flinched, Mike and Lucas instinctively stepping in front of the group, both aiming their weapons at the door. 

There was another bang, and the door swung open, a tall teenage boy with a wave of perfect hair stumbling into the bunker. 

“Steve?” 

_______________________________________

“Hey.” Mike whispered, sitting down on the couch opposite Lucas, making him look up from where Max lay slumped against his shoulder. 

The others had only gone to bed about twenty minutes ago, spread out on the various bunk beds and cots, but Max had practically collapsed the second she was able to. Her fingers were still clutching the side of his jacket from when Dustin and Robin had stitched up her leg about an hour and a half ago. She hadn’t shed a single tear, which he was genuinely impressed by considering they hadn’t been able to numb the skin around the injury. 

“They're done.” He’d whispered once they’d finished, brushing some loose hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail away from her face as she dropped her head to his shoulder, utterly exhausted. 

“I’m tired.” She whispered, her eyes already fluttering closed as she sunk deeper against his side. He hadn’t really noticed how tired she’d actually looked before, but he guessed feeling constant pain for almost an hour would drain her. 

“Ok. You can sleep.” He whispered back, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “I’ve got you.” 

“Hey.” He finally answered Mike, noticing the way the boy was staring at him intently when he didn’t answer. He wanted to duck away from Mike’s gaze, his face feeling hot. Truly, he felt a little embarrassed for punching him. 

“I just...wanted to say I’m sorry.” Mike said softly, surprising him. “You were right, I wouldn’t have left El there alone and it wasn’t fair of me to expect you to just leave Max, especially after she just got you back.” 

“You were just trying to keep a promise.” Lucas pointed out. “I drew first blood.” 

“Literally.” Mike teased. 

“Sorry.” He winced. 

“It’s fine.” Mike promised, waving his hand. “Really. It doesn’t hurt anymore, and I kinda did the same thing to Hopper when El came back so…” 

“You punched the chief?” Lucas exclaimed in a whisper, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Mike nodded, embarrassed. 

“Yeahhhhh.” Lucas laughed. 

“Dude that took nerve.” 

“I honestly didn’t even care. I kinda wanted to make him hurt as much as he hurt me. I see how stupid that is now but in the moment…” 

“It just made sense?” He guessed, Mike nodded. The two fell into silence, a million questions running through his mind. He wanted to ask Mike all of them, wanted answers, but there was one question that seemed above them all. 

“What’d she make you promise?” He blurted out. Mike looked up at him, leaning forward against his knees. Even from across the coffee table Lucas could tell it was serious. 

“That no matter what happened, if something happened to her, I’d get you home to your family.”

Lucas glanced down at Max. “She made you promise that?” He asked. 

“She’s worried about you.” 

“I know.” He whispered. That’s what worried him. She wanted to do anything and everything to get him home to his family, even if it meant leaving her behind. She’d been totally prepared for him to leave her, alone, in the middle of the forest while what they thought were soldiers were chasing them, and even though it ended up only being Steve, the outcome could’ve been fatal. He probably wouldn’t ever have seen her again, his promise to go home together would’ve been broken. Mike stood up, turning Lucas’s attention back to him. 

“You should get some sleep.” They both glanced at their watches, the green glowing numbers on his wrist reading that it was nearly five, two and a half hours from when they’d left. “You need it.” 

“I will but, uh Mike?” There was one more thing he  _ had  _ to know. 

“Huh?” 

“Did I...did I do anything to hurt her?” Mike’s shoulders sagged a little as he let out a breath, and Lucas felt his heart break into a million tiny pieces. 

“You tried. Twice. But she promised you she wouldn’t hurt you so she never tried to stop you.” 

“What did I do?” 

“Pointed a crossbow at her right after you got attacked. Then you pinned her down with a knife when she tried to bring you back in the shed, but then she got through just enough to stop you and you tried to force her to kill you instead.” He hesitated.

“She almost did. It scared her pretty bad.” Lucas slumped a little further into the couch, his expression dropping from the smile it held earlier. 

“Lucas. She understands it wasn’t really you.” Mike said softly. 

“But I’ve  _ never _ hurt her before, and I didn’t plan on  _ ever  _ hurting her. She knew I never would and that was probably why she kept trying. I took advantage of that trust, I’m no better than Billy—”

“Don’t say that.” Mike interrupted him, leaning over the back of the couch he was standing next to. 

“Billy hurt her even  _ without  _ the monster possessing him. You’re nothing like him, look at her right now, Lucas. She  _ does  _ trust you.  _ Still _ . She trusts you enough to fall asleep on your shoulder in the middle of everything that’s happening, she trusts you’re not going to let anything happen to her while she’s holding onto you. It wasn’t you that tried to hurt her, and she knows that.” Lucas looked up at him gratefully, giving him a small smile 

“Thanks, Mike.” He whispered. 

“No problem. Now shut up so I can sleep.” Lucas huffed a laugh as Mike trudged over to the cot in between El and Will, laying down and almost immediately falling asleep after he’d pulled the blanket over his shoulder. 

He looked down at Max, his smile widening as he thought about what Mike said: 

_ She trusts you enough to fall asleep on your shoulder in the middle of everything that’s happening, she trusts you’re not going to let anything happen to her while she’s holding onto you. _

“Goodnight, Max.” He whispered, gently placing a kiss on the top of her head. She shifted closer to him, her breathing shifting slightly as she burrowed deeper into his shoulder. He laid his head against hers, closing his eyes. 

He couldn’t help but think that maybe it was a straight shot home from here, maybe nothing bad would happen and he and Max wouldn’t be separated again. 

There was no way for him to know how wrong he was. If there was, he wouldn’t have fallen asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I google how to hotwire a golf cart that’s not from memory I promise. Things are about to get crazy so be prepared. I’m estimating about...5 chapters or less left, it’s close. Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	16. Safe

Max opened her eyes slowly, almost panicking when she didn’t recognize where she was. She sat up on the couch, where she’d been laying stretched out on the whole thing, a blanket pulled up over her shoulders. She was warm, meaning she’d been there for awhile, but she had a faint memory of Lucas being there when she fell asleep. 

She looked around the bunker, her eyes flicking from the empty bunk beds and cots to the kitchen, where only El and Lucas sat across from each other at the table, whispering so that they didn’t wake her up. 

She threw the blanket off of her, swinging her feet over the edge of the couch onto the floor. It took her a moment to realize her shoes were gone, and she could feel the cold concrete through her socks. After looking around she found them tucked under the coffee table between the two couches. 

Her leg was burning, forcing her to remember how she’d gotten the injury after being thrown from the golf cart, which Steve had explained was probably a mine. They’d been set up all over Hawkins ever since the alert was sent out, and they’d managed to disarm most of them on missions, but that one must have just been one they’d missed. 

She faintly remembered Jonathan explaining that they’d been using this bunker for as long as the four of them could remember during missions, deciding not to tell the six of them about it for fear of putting them in danger. They hadn’t meant to disappear, but they’d kept finding more and more until eventually their radios wouldn’t work anymore. They’d sworn to each other that they’d go back to get them as soon as they found home, but that was all she could remember from that conversation before her memory was filled with pain and exhaustion while Robin and Dustin stitched up her leg. 

Her gaze was drawn back to the kitchen as Lucas stood up, the wooden chair scraping against the concrete as he moved to cupboards, opening them like he was searching for something. She stood up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning as she made her way towards them. 

El saw her first, giving her a welcoming smile. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” Max replied, the sound of her voice making Lucas turn around. 

“Hey.” He said softly, his hand lingering on the cupboard door. 

“Hi.” 

“Sleep well?” 

“Yeah. What time is it?” Lucas looked at his watch. 

“Almost two.” 

“What?” She exclaimed. “Why would you guys let me sleep in that long?” 

Lucas shrugged, smiling in amusement. “You seemed tired. It was literally like four in the morning I figured you wouldn’t want to be bothered.” She ran a hand through her hair as she stared back at him. By the end of the sentence he had seemed to get embarrassed, ducking his head away from her. Even when he looked up he wouldn’t look her directly in the eyes. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to figure out why she suddenly felt so awkward standing there. 

“El.” Lucas said, nodding just slightly. She got the message, announcing that she had to use the bathroom before standing up and disappearing into the small room. 

“Can we talk?” Lucas asked. 

“Sure.” She whispered, walking towards him cautiously. “Where’s everyone else?” 

“Steve took them out to show them something, I’m not sure what they’re doing.” 

“Oh.” She said quietly, looking down at her hands as she played with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. She’d never felt like she needed to be scared around him, but she could literally feel the tension in the room, making her uncomfortable, as if he was going to tell her bad news. 

“Wh-what did you wanna talk about?” She asked, her throat feeling dry. She looked up when he didn’t answer, surprised when he leaned closer, kissing her. The tension immediately disappeared, and she was so shocked she barely had time to kiss him back before he was pulling away again. 

“I just...I wanted to say I’m sorry. I-I know I hurt you and I didn’t mean to and I never want to do anything like that again but—“

“Hey.” Max interrupted, her voice gentle when she sensed the panic in his tone. “I’m not mad at you, and I forgave you a long time ago. I know that wasn’t you in there. It wasn’t your fault.” 

“But I still hurt you.” He managed. “You still  _ got _ hurt.” 

“It’s ok.” She whispered, reaching up to cup his face with her hand. “It’s ok.” He leaned down, his forehead resting against hers, closing his eyes as he let out a shaky breath. 

“Lucas?” 

“Hm?” 

“I’m happy you’re home.” She whispered, her fingers tracing the line of his hair on the back his neck. 

“Me too.” He said, pulling back to look at her. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too.” Lucas smiled, leaning towards her again. She leaned up to meet him, letting her eyes close when suddenly the door creaked open, the two of them jumping apart. 

“Oh..sorry.” Dustin muttered, his cheeks turning red as the others all flooded in behind him, totally oblivious to what had just happened. El walked out of the bathroom to join them, figuring Lucas and Max’s talk was over. 

“Does he do it on purpose?” Lucas whispered from behind her, turning to open the cupboard again as he reached for a cup on the second shelf, his ears turning red. 

“If he’s not then he has a gift.” Max mumbled back, making Lucas laugh. 

“Hey! You’re awake. I haven’t really gotten to see you much.” Steve said as he walked into the kitchen, practically picking Max up as he hugged her. Her mind flashed to Billy for a moment, wishing he could’ve been more like Steve. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t Steve have been her brother? He liked her a lot more. 

She pulled away from him, reaching up to ruffle his hair. “You need a haircut Harrington.” 

“Yeah, yeah I know ok, Robin only tells me a hundred times a day.” He rolled his eyes, running a hand through his now messy hair. 

“You need a haircut Dingus!” Robin called from where she was sitting on one of the bottom bunks with Mike, the two of them looking into one of the backpacks they’d taken with them. 

“Yeah yeah yeah. I got it!” He called over his shoulder, waving his hand in the air. 

“Anyways. You guys ready for tomorrow night?” Lucas and Max shared a look. 

“What’s tomorrow night?” Lucas asked hesitantly. 

“Dustin didn’t tell you? I told him to.” Lucas shook his head. 

“He was too excited about the “mission” to tell me anything.” 

“Oh, well. We’re gonna start heading home tomorrow night. I figured you guys needed at least a day to rest from everything that’s been going on, but we’ve found that the dogs don’t wander around as much at night so we’re going to cover as much ground as possible to get to another safe point before Friday.” 

“Safe point?” Max questioned. 

“Yeah, kinda like this bunker. We’ve mapped out certain places that are safe for us to stay without being attacked, they all lead straight back to where everyone else has been evacuated.” 

“How many safe points are there?” Lucas asked, taking the words right out of Max’s mouth. 

“Four or five I think. I can never remember.” 

“Steve!” Mike called, waving for him to come over. 

“I’ll talk to you guys later. Wheeler and Robin are suddenly best friends, gotta make sure he doesn’t steal my spot.” He said, saluting them as he made his way over to the bunk beds. 

Everyone was split up into small groups, all talking about different things. El was sitting with Nancy and Jonathan, who were filling her in on what Steve had taken them to, which ended up being a giant waterfall near another quarry somewhere in the town they were in. The girl’s eyes were sparkling with happiness as she imagined it. 

Dustin and Will were sitting on the beanbags, comparing what looked like notes and maps of the area, the two of them whispering quietly as if the information was top secret. 

Steve and Mike were arguing about something stupid, Robin switching sides between the two of them, mostly siding with Mike, who was smirking at Steve. Steve looked ready to shove him backwards off the bed, which Max kinda wanted to see. 

The way they were all so comfortable together made her think of how she felt at the Sinclair’s, made her think of family, she had an army of obnoxious brothers, and El, Nancy and Robin were like her sisters (maybe El a little more). She wasn’t sure where she’d put Lucas in that category but she refused to count him as a brother.

“It’s nice to have everyone back together again.” Lucas said, as if reading her thoughts. She held back her smile as he jumped up to sit next to her where she’d decided to lean against the counter, looking out at everyone. 

“Yeah, it is.” She agreed, craning her neck to look up at him. “Ready to go home?”

“Yep.” He answered, throwing his arm over her shoulder. “I’m ready to see my family.” 

_______________________________________

They hadn’t done anything all day, and for that very reason, Max couldn’t fall asleep, the light on in the kitchen wasn’t helping either, but Steve admitted that he didn’t know how to turn it off, so they were stuck with it. 

They’d all spent the remainder of the afternoon hanging out in separate groups, mostly just playing card games because, luckily, El had thought ahead and packed hers and Max’s stash that they used when the boys were gone. Nancy and Jonathan had made dinner around seven, which was just some cans of beef stew, and even then everyone had split into their separate groups, no one ate at the table. 

Max, Lucas and Will had tried building card towers and learned magic tricks from Dustin but it had only lasted so long before they’d gotten bored of it, Lucas knocking over his almost completed tower out of frustration. 

Now, four hours later, Max was laying on the couch, looking up at the dark ceiling above her and listening to the soft snores of everyone else sleeping as she willed herself to do the same. She was tired, but her mind didn’t seem to agree with her body, she kept thinking about how tomorrow night they would be that much closer to home, and she didn’t know if she was more excited or anxious about it. 

She rolled her head sideways to look over at Lucas on the opposite couch, his back was facing her and his blanket was pulled up over his head. She tried to imagine what kind of superpower he had to manage to fall asleep in twenty minutes, she was slightly envious of it. 

She rolled over several times, adjusting her blanket and pillow and trying to find a comfortable position, but she couldn’t manage to find one for more than a couple minutes. She sat up, pulling her blanket around her and, out of desperation, reached for one of the books that Dustin had left on the coffee table. It turned out to be his Russian translation book, and she groaned, tossing it back. She didn’t want to make her brain work harder than it already was. 

Lucas let out a small gasp in the silence, making her jump as he sat up and started forcing out quick breaths, short and choppy, as if he hadn’t been holding his breath before. He closed his eyes, burying his face in his hands in an attempt to even out his breathing, not seeming to notice she was awake. 

“You ok?” He jumped, his head whipping towards her. His eyes were wide, and the rising and falling of his chest seemed to slow as he looked at her. 

“Yeah.” He whispered, beginning to relax. “Just...bad dream. What about you? Can’t sleep?” She shook her head, pulling the blanket tighter around her. 

“My mind’s going a million miles an hour.” 

“Why?” 

“Thinking about what could go wrong tomorrow night or well…” she glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall, realizing it was almost two. “...tonight I guess.” He nodded in understanding, sitting up to face her from across the coffee table, copying her as he pulled his blanket around her shoulders. 

He was wearing a white t-shirt and dark blue sweatpants. She didn’t know why she noticed that or why it was important but she did. His hair was a little messier than before, staticky most likely from the blanket he’d pulled over his head, and even though he’d been asleep, he had dark circles under his eyes, making him look a little older than he actually was.

“You’re not the only one.” He whispered. 

“Huh?” She asked, snapping herself out of her thoughts when she realized she’d been staring. She hoped he hadn’t noticed. 

“You said you kept thinking about what could go wrong.” 

“Oh...yeah. Sorry.” She paused, his words catching up with her. “Was that what you were dreaming about?” 

He hesitated, avoiding her eyes. “Kinda. It’s not really when we’re traveling more...when we get there.” Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. 

“What do you mean?” 

“What if...everything has changed.” He started softly, his voice wavering in a way she knew no one else would’ve noticed if they were listening. “What if they’ve accepted the fact that we may be dead, and we just show up and mess it all up.” 

Suddenly she understood what he was talking about, throwing the blanket off her shoulders and dropping it onto the couch as she stood up and walked around the coffee table to sit down next to him. Their shoulders brushed together, and she couldn’t help but notice the way he flinched at her touch. She never realized how much the Mind Flayer controlling him could have actually affected him, mentally and physically, but she knew exactly what it felt like. 

“You think your family is happier without you?” She asked. He wouldn’t look up at her, but when he nodded she could see the trails of tears running down his face. It hadn’t occurred to her how much he’d probably been thinking about this, just the fact that he’d been possessed and surrounded by nothing but darkness for days had probably given him a very long time to think about it. 

“Lucas.” She said softly, resting her hand against his back. “No. That’s not true. They  _ miss _ you.” 

“We don’t know that.” She wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling him closer as he dropped his head to her shoulder. This time he didn’t flinch away. 

“Do you remember the night the alarm went out?” She started. Lucas nodded against her, but didn’t make an effort to respond with words. 

“Your mom called you. She told you that she loved you, to be safe and that they would find a way to come get you and take you home.” 

“Yeah but they didn’t.” He choked, looking up at her. “They packed up everything  _ except _ my bedroom and they left.” She had to admit that did look bad, but she knew there was a reason for that. The Sinclair’s were too close of a family to just forget about him, to just abandon him like...like her mom had. 

She refused to believe they were anything like her mom. 

“Maybe they had a good reason for leaving everything.” She whispered. “Steve said they were evacuated, maybe they didn’t have enough time to take it all with them. You can ask them when we find them.” 

“And if I’m right?” 

“Lucas you’re not. You’re smart but you’re not right about this. You’re scared. I know how you feel, but it’s ok. I’ve got you, Lucas.” He sniffled, turning towards her as he pulled her closer, hugging her tight, his head buried in her shoulder 

“I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here.” He laughed bitterly after a moment, pulling away and wiping at his eyes. “I’m a mess.”

“You’re not a mess.” She said, wiping away the wetness on his cheek with her thumb. “We’ve all got to fall apart a little.” 

“I guess you’re right.” He whispered. 

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m perfect.” She teased. 

“Right sorry. Forgot.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes playfully. He leaned back down against his pillow, looking up at her from where she still sat on the edge of the couch. “You’re beautiful, you know that right?” 

She felt her face getting hot, but she laughed. “I know. Obviously.” She teased. Lucas rolled his eyes again. 

“Just trying to be cute sheesh.” He mumbled, settling further into the couch. 

“Goodnight Luke.” She whispered, standing up to walk back to her couch. 

“Night Mad Max.” 

They both laid down, sinking comfortably into the couches as they began to drift off. Max finally started to relax, slipping into darkness before she could stop herself, not finding enough strength to whisper back to Lucas when he said he loved her. 

_______________________________________

“Do we have everything?” Steve asked, counting off everyone like a teacher on a field trip. 

“For the fifth time, yes. We got everything.” Nancy teased, patting Steve on the shoulder as he ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. He may have just been doing it to feel how short his hair seemed since Robin had finally insisted on cutting it before they left, chopping off a full five inches, but he also may have been going into babysitter mode and stressing out. 

“Jonathan, you got the gun?” He asked. 

“Steve. Me, Max  _ and  _ Mike all have the guns.” 

“Right sorry.” 

“Dude, calm down.” Dustin said, patting him on the back. “You’ve got a bunch of sophomores armed with guns, a crossbow and knives, you’re good.” 

“Wonderful.” Steve mumbled. 

“We’re not sophomores.” Lucas said. 

“Yes we are.” Dustin argued. 

“No we’re not.” 

“School would’ve started like four months ago.” 

“But it  _ didn’t _ .” Lucas insisted. “Therefore, we are not sophomores.” Max and El glanced at each other, rolling their eyes. They hadn’t managed to go a  _ day _ in six months without the boys finding something dumb to argue about. 

“You’re unbearably stupid.” Dustin said blankly. 

“Oh yeah? Well you’re—” Max stepped forward, covering Lucas’s mouth with her hand as he finished mumbling his insult against her palm. 

“Seriously, just shut up.” She begged. He stared back at her blankly, and she suddenly pulled back in surprise. “Ew! Did you just lick me?” Lucas shrugged, smiling in amusement. 

“You’re disgusting.” She mumbled, grabbing his arm and wiping her hand on his jacket sleeve. 

“Ok. Guess we better get going.” Robin said, moving to stand by Steve. “You all ready?” They all nodded, slightly anxious, but excited more than anything. 

“Remember that if we get separated—” Steve started to remind them, but they’d heard it a thousand times that day. 

“Stay with your buddy.” The six of them repeated in a monotone, pushing past him to follow Robin when she opened the door. “We know.” He was sounding more and more like a third grade teacher. 

They made their way down the long, dark hallway for the first time since they’d entered. Max couldn’t help but wonder how long the bunker had been here, and if they’d ever be back.  _ She  _ would, but there was no way for her to know at the time. 

Steve led them out of the store and down a path they’d never noticed before, partially hidden by all the overgrown underbrush and fallen trees, the trail clearing up about a mile in. It was a full moon tonight, bathing the forest around them in a silver-blue moonlight. Max couldn’t help but be glad to be back outside again, after being cooped up in the bunker for two days she almost lost her mind. 

“Hey.” Lucas mumbled, knocking his shoulder against hers. “What’re you thinking about?” 

“That I’m glad I’m not stuck inside a barely livable space with a bunch of teenage boys anymore.” She teased, smiling up at him as she adjusted her hold on her backpack straps. He huffed a laugh, glancing back at their friends behind them.

“Yeah I once had a sleepover with the three of them for a whole week while my parents were out of town and let me tell you, Dustin hyped up on caffeine at three in the morning is  _ not _ a fun situation.” 

“Dustin on caffeine is never good.” She pointed out, her mind flashing to the time Dustin had drank a whole six pack of Coke Cola and couldn’t sit still for a week. 

“Oh definitely. Just one  _ thousand _ times worse at three in the morning.” 

“You have more patience than I would’ve.” 

“No I was just too tired to get up and stop him so I tripped him from my sleeping bag when he got too close.” Max laughed, imagining a half asleep Lucas tripping a caffeine buzzed Dustin just to shut him up. 

“You know how you guys were arguing about being sophomores?”

“Back at the bunker?” He asked, gesturing back the way they came. 

“Yeah. Do you think we’ll ever go back to school?” 

He thought about it seriously for a moment. “Not sure. Why? You want to go back?” 

“I don’t know.” She answered honestly. “I hate highschool more than anything but...I kinda miss the moments.” 

“Like?” Lucas pushed. 

“Like staying up late to go to your basketball games or trying to make it to the gas station to get slushies in between classes.” She saw the corners of his mouth twitch up in a smile, knowing he was remembering the time Dustin had called Steve with a “code red”, not telling him what it was until his was at the school with his bat on their lunch break, the six of them standing out front with their backpacks still on while they begged him to take them to the gas station before lunch was over. 

“Or seeing who would crack first when we did dares in the library and tried to be quiet.” She continued. 

“Putting a silly string bomb in Mike’s locker.” He offered. “Dustin ordering pizza to the school when he pretended to call his mom because he was ‘sick’.'' 

“I forgot about that!” Max laughed. “The delivery guy refused to leave until they had to call Dustin down to the office and he paid him in quarters.” 

“He used all his arcade money for the month and you beat his high score on every game.” 

“It wasn’t that hard.” 

“Are you guys talking about the time I ordered pizza to class?” Dustin called from behind them. 

“Yep. We’re talking about how I beat your highscore on every game and you couldn’t recover.” Max said, turning around to walk backwards to talk to him. 

“Hey not true!” 

“Like I said. Still haven’t recovered.” 

“Guys shut up.” Steve said from the front. 

“What? You’re on his side?” Lucas teased as Max turned back around. 

“Seriously shut up, Sinclair!” They all stopped walking, now concerned as they watched Steve shine his flashlight through the woods around them, his nail-studded baseball bat hanging at his side. Jonathan pulled out his shotgun, and Max and Lucas felt themselves doing the same, pulling out their weapons as they heard Mike cocking his pistol behind them. 

“I thought I heard something.” Steve mumbled. 

“There’s nothing here.” Robin muttered, though she didn’t make any move to lower the axe she was holding. 

“No sudden movements.” He whispered, taking a very slow step forward. Something growled in the bushes. 

“Demodogs.” Max whispered instantly, feeling her heartbeat speed up. Lucas glanced at her nervously out of the corner of her eye, swallowing as he steadied his crossbow. 

“What do we do?” Will asked from beside Dustin. 

“Don’t. Move.” Steve whispered. A couple dogs had creeped out of the bushes now, about a hundred feet in front of them, their tan skin glowing gray in the moonlight, but they made no move to attack. “Back up slowly.” 

“Uh. Steve.” Mike whispered. “We’ve got a problem.” They all glanced at Mike to see three more dogs creeping up behind him, surrounding them with nowhere to go except the unpredictable insides of the forest. It reminded Max of when she and Lucas were surrounded, she knew how this worked. Someone would break first, it just couldn’t be them. 

Just as she predicted one of the creatures was too brave and too impatient, charging Mike from behind as the other dogs growled in disapproval. 

“Mike!” Max yelled, warning him just in time to whip around, the pistol shot ringing through the air as the dog fell to the ground, but didn’t die, struggling to get up with what looked like a now broken leg. The sound had alerted the other five, sending them into attack mode. 

Run!” Steve yelled, hitting a dog out of the air with his bat. “Meet at the safe point! It’s on the map. Go!” They could’ve taken six dogs easily, and they knew that, but Steve had already explained before they’d left, the more they tried to fight, the more dogs would come. 

“Lucas, cmon.” Max said, pulling on his arm to drag him away from the attack, the others already scattering in different directions. His eyes stayed glued on Steve for a minute longer, watching him hit one dog after another, backing into the forest, before he turned away and started running beside her. 

“Where do we go?” He asked, ducking a low hanging branch. 

“We’ll check when we get somewhere safe.” She said, catching herself as she tripped over a loose tree root. Lucas reached to help her, but she shrugged him off, pointing down the hill they’d reached to a small deserted road, only a single building for what seemed like miles.

“See that gas station? Go there. Then we can check the map and make our way towards the safe point.”

“Don’t wander at night my butt.” He grumbled, referring to what Steve had told them yesterday, tossing his crossbow over his shoulder. “It’s like they know exactly where we are.” 

“You can’t still spy...can you?” Max asked nervously. 

“No. When he was there I could feel it. He’s gone.” He started to pick up speed as he ran down the hill, beating Max to the gas station by a good forty feet. 

“Inside. Go c'mon.” She pushed him through the doorway, pulling him out of sight as they ducked behind the cash register. He pulled off his backpack quickly, handing Max the crossbow without a second thought, which she found a little strange but also made her heart flutter because he wouldn’t let anyone else touch it. 

“Got it.” He whispered, pulling a paper out of his bag and holding it up for her to see. 

“This is the bunker.” He said, pointing to a spot on the far corner of the map. “How far do you think we walked?” 

“I don’t know. It’s hard to tell, maybe a mile or two.” 

“Then we’re about eight, nine miles away.” He said, pointing at the map where the next safe point was marked. 

“We can’t make that with those things chasing us.” 

“We’re gonna have to.” He said, folding up the paper and slipping it into his pocket. “We can’t stay here.” 

“I know. I know that.” She said. “It’s just we—“ there was what sounded like glass breaking, and the two flinched. Max handed Lucas the crossbow, carefully pulling her gun out as the two of them peeked over the counter. 

Three demodogs, clearly rogue because they were about three times bigger than normal, had crashed through the front door, and were now wandering through the store, slowly sniffing them out. The muscles in their back flexed with each slow movement, and she had to admit it was a little intimidating. 

“I have a plan.” Lucas whispered from beside her. 

“Good, does it involve leaving?” 

“Not exactly.” She snapped her gaze toward him, staring at him with a look that said ‘are you insane’. 

“You see that back wall?” He whispered. She peeked over the counter again to see what he was talking about. In the back of the store, there was a wall holding weapons of every kind: guns, axes, bear traps, flamethrowers, you name it. 

“Yeah I see it.” She whispered. 

“I’m gonna make a run for it, grab some traps.” 

“Lucas, they’ll kill you.” 

“No they won’t. Because  _ you  _ will be covering me.” She felt her heartbeat speed up. 

“I’m not that good of a shot.” 

“You  _ are.  _ You’ve saved me twice.” 

“Out of pure adrenaline.” 

“Good. Do it again.” He started to stand up, but she pulled him back down by his jacket. 

“Don’t. Please don’t.” She didn’t miss the way her voice broke, and she could tell he hadn’t either, just by the way he stared back at her with such intensity that she knew he recognized the fear. 

“Hey.” He whispered. “It’s ok.” 

“I just got you back.” She managed. “I don’t want to lose you again.” 

“You won’t lose me.” 

“We don’t know that.” 

“Max, we have to  _ try _ .” He whispered. “If we don’t make it back to the safe point everyone will think we’re dead.” 

“It’s better than you actually being dead and me having to do this alone.” 

“You’re not gonna be alone. I  _ promise _ . Just cover me, ok?” She knew he wasn’t going to back down, knew he wouldn’t take no for an answer. She just had to trust him. 

“Be careful, Stalker.” 

“I will.” He wanted to say something, she could see it in his eyes, but instead he just bit his lip and stood up, slowly sneaking around the counter. 

She quietly balanced the gun on the top of the counter, kneeling so that she could just barely see over it, watching Lucas carefully. She couldn’t see the dogs at all, and she started to panic when Lucas disappeared around a corner and down one of the aisles. She couldn’t cover him if she couldn’t see him, he knew that, so what was he doing? She pulled back from the gun, craning her neck to try to get a better look, but he’d gone into a blind spot. 

“Idiot. What are you doing?” 

“I told you, I was getting stuff.” She jumped, turning to see Lucas standing beside her again, holding two giant flamethrowers. 

“Where—“ she started, but Lucas kneeled down next to her, gently dropping the weapons on the floor. 

“You were facing the complete wrong way.” He laughed under his breath. 

“I was following you and you disappeared!” She exclaimed in a whisper. 

“I was behind them, they didn’t even notice.” 

“Yeah but if something would’ve happened I wouldn’t have known, and you would probably be dead!” 

“Max, calm down.” 

“No! I won’t calm down because that was the stupidest thing you’ve ever pulled and I’m not risking—“ 

“Hey.” He whispered, moving closer and setting his hands on her shoulders. “I’m ok.” 

“But what if you weren’t?” She whispered. 

“We don’t need to worry about that right now.” 

“But  _ I  _ do because you don’t seem to value your life as much as I do.” She glared at him, folding her arms across her chest. Lucas let out a laugh, letting his hands fall down her arms. 

“I knew what I was doing. I wouldn’t have done it if I knew I might get hurt.” 

“Bull.” 

“I’m sorry. Ok? I’m sorry.” Her expression softened, and she nodded. 

“Do it again and I’ll kill you myself.” She said, shoving his shoulder so that he lost his balance and fell back on his butt. He shook his head in disappointment that he hadn’t expected that, and she smiled in victory. “So what’s your plan?” 

“First, get them out of the store, Second...somehow find the others and get the fireworks.” He mumbled, pushing himself up so that he was crouching beside her again. 

“Lucas.” She said seriously. Suddenly there was a giant boom that shook the ground underneath them, the sky lighting up a bright red, the air smelled like smoke. They ducked down as the dogs ran out of the store, completely forgetting about their mission to sniff the two of them out. 

“What was that?” Max whispered. Lucas looked at her, his eyes sparkling the same way she’d seen when he stood in the middle of the display. 

“Fireworks.” 

_______________________________________

“Why would a Will set off the fireworks?” Max asked, running to catch up with Lucas. Her backpack was slightly heavier now, his clothes shoved into her bag along with all of her stuff so that he had enough room for the flamethrowers in his bag. 

“Like I told you.” He smiled. “Distraction.” 

“From what?” She asked. 

“The dogs? Probably trying to lure them away from something, or  _ someone.”  _

“Ok but that would lead them right to them, wouldn’t it?” 

“Not if he was fast enough.” Another firework went off, this time blue and much louder, but in a different location, about a mile away from the last one. 

“Follow that one. If we hurry we can catch up.” Lucas said, already turning toward the explosion. She wasn’t sure she’d ran so fast in her life, but surprisingly she wasn’t tired. Her ribs were aching, yes, but she wasn’t out of breath or falling very far behind Lucas. 

“Lucas it was here. Where are they?” She asked, glancing nervously around her. She heard him grunt, and spun around to see what he needed, but he was gone. She stopped running, spinning around. 

“Lucas?” Someone covered her mouth, pulling her behind a tree. She almost screamed when she looked up to see Will holding a finger to his lips. She glanced across the path and saw Dustin doing the same to Lucas. She looked back at Will, nodding to show him she understood, and he pulled his hand away. 

“Where is everyone?” She whispered. 

“Steve and Robin are close, but I haven’t seen anyone else.” He whispered back, occasionally glancing around the tree trunk. 

“Fireworks aren’t going to last forever.” Dustin whispered to them. “We need a better plan.” 

“We need to lure them all into the same place.” She whispered, surprising herself as well as the others. “If we can trap them all in one spot we can kill them easier.” 

“With fireworks?” Will asked. 

“It could work.” Lucas spoke up. “We’ve done it before.” 

“We didn’t kill the Mind Flayer.” Will reminded him. “We just distracted it long enough for my mom and Hopper to close the gate.” 

“Maybe the fireworks won’t kill them, but if there was a way to get a big enough explosion it would kill all of them.” 

“But how do we create an explosion like that? You need gasoline or something to react with the black powder.” 

Lucas gestured to his backpack. “I’ve got two flamethrowers, that’s a start.” 

“Yeah but that won’t be enough. We need a way to attract anyone and any _ thing  _ for miles. It has to be noticeable.” Dustin said. “It can’t just be some puny firework that leads them right to us and they kill us. We need a secret weapon.” 

Max smiled, turning to Will. “You’re scaring me, what are you thinking about?” He asked cautiously. 

“The gas station. Lucas and I were just there.” She whispered. “We could strap the flamethrowers and fireworks to the gas pumps. Remember that one gas station that exploded? The ones we watched on the news?” The boys all looked at each other, their eyes widening in understanding. 

“People could see it for miles.” Lucas mumbled. 

“And hear it.” Will added. 

“Since when did you steal Lucas’s title of Plan King?” Dustin asked, giving her a high five. 

“Hey!” 

“Since I have to keep saving all your butts. C'mon we need to find Steve.” 

_______________________________________

“That’s a horrible idea.” Steve said after they’d finished telling him the plan. “There’s no way you can light the fireworks and run away in time without it killing you.” 

“We’ll shoot it. From the top of the hill.” Lucas said. “You shoot a pressurized canister and it  _ will _ explode.” 

“I know that.” 

“Good then you also know that it will be a huge explosion and will draw all attention away from us long enough to get to the safe point, not to mention kill all the demodogs we manage trap inside.” 

“How do we trap them?” Robin asked. 

“Easy.” Max said. “There’s a ton of bear traps in the store. All we have to do is set them up everywhere and when they run into the store they’ll be trapped.” 

“We’re gonna need more than fireworks to lure them in.” Dustin pointed out. “A firework will bring them to the scene but it won’t get them inside.” 

“Then we’ve got one shot to get as many as possible. They others will come afterwards anyways, and we can get away. Either way it’s a win.” Max argued. 

“Unless one of us  _ dies.”  _ Steve pointed out. “Then what.” 

“That won’t happen.” Lucas said. He sounded so confident Max had no choice but to believe him. “We set up a firework here, and then we run, as fast as we can to the store, we set everything up, we blow it up. No side plots, no nothing. We just do it.” The others all nodded in agreement. 

Mike stumbled into the clearing, falling onto his knees as he coughed and panted for breath, El, Nancy and Jonathan running in behind him. They were all covered in scraps and cuts, Mike’s shirt was torn into pieces. 

“Oh good we’re all here.” Robin said. 

“They’re coming. Whatever your plan is, do it now and let’s get out of here.” Mike panted. 

Lucas nodded. “We’ll explain on the way.” 

_______________________________________

“That’s the last one.” Lucas said, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he carefully stepped away from the newly set bear trap. Max didn’t see how he could be so hot. It was literally forty degrees outside and she was wearing his canvas jacket  _ over  _ her hoodie. He was wearing a t-shirt. 

“Is this gonna work?” She asked, carefully stepping around a cluster of traps. 

“It has to.” He replied, picking up two of the four gas cans that they’d stationed next to the door. “It’s all we have.” She nodded, looking up the hill to where Steve and the others were camped out, watching them to make sure nothing happened while the two of them set up. She could barely make out the shapes of them in the darkness. 

“Thank you for not dying.” She whispered, setting down the canisters of gas next to one of the pumps, Lucas doing the same on the other. 

“No problem. Thanks for not killing me.” He replied, picking up his backpack from the oil stained asphalt and pulling out the flamethrowers. 

“Zip ties.” He said, Max fished a bag out of her pocket and tossed it to him. He held the trigger down, the gas lighting a small glowing blue flame. He took one of the zip ties out of the bag, tying the trigger down and carefully handing it over to her. He did the same thing to the second one, and soon they had two infinitely burning flames. 

“Where do we put these without blowing up?” Max asked. 

“Set it right in front of the trail of black powder, but don’t light it. Jonathan will shoot it over and it will light it all at once.” He explained, already positioning his in the same spot on the other pump. 

Max did the same, watching as he lit a firework out in the middle of the road with a lighter he’d taken from the store, far enough away from the building that nothing would explode yet, before the two of them ran back up the hill, which was way steeper to go up than down. They heard it going off when they were about halfway up, a flash of green light behind them, but they kept climbing. 

“What took you guys so long? You really gotta stop making out in missions.” Dustin teased. 

“You were  _ literally  _ watching us.” Max said, exasperated, gesturing back down the hill. “And even if we  _ were—” _

“Speaking of watching.” Lucas interrupted, pointing to where a pack of about twenty to thirty dogs were running out of the forest from all different directions, straight towards the store. 

“There’s so many of them.” Nancy whispered in awe. 

“You have no idea.” Will said softly. 

“Jonathan. It’s now or never.” El said. “Take the shot.”

The older boy aimed Max’s rifle down the hill, zeroing on the canisters of gas they’d placed around the fireworks and gas pump. 

“Now Jonathan.” Steve said anxiously. He pulled the trigger, and they waited, a small fire sprouting from the gas pump as the flamethrowers met the trail of black powder snaking around the pump, a couple of the gas cans tipping over, gasoline spilling and immediately setting fire, but nothing else happened. Max let out a string of curse words, running her hands through her hair. 

“Just shoot it again.” Lucas said. “It’s already all lit, all you’ve gotta do is shoot it again.” 

“There’s too many in the way.” Jonathan said. “They’re sniffing it out. They won’t go near the fire but they’re all blocking it.” 

“We distracted them.” Dustin notified all of them. “They all know where we are now.” 

“How do you know?” Robin asked. He pointed down the hill to where every single one of the dogs was turning to now face the hill, changing their course. 

“Well sh—” 

“One of us has to light it manually.” Lucas interrupted. Max knew by “we” he meant himself, and she immediately shook her head. 

“No. You’re not going down to light that thing. You heard Steve, you won’t have enough time to get out of there before it explodes, and even if you did, there’s a swarm of dogs down there that will kill you before you make it.” 

“Max. If that thing doesn’t explode, we don’t have a chance of getting back.” 

“If that thing  _ explodes _ and you’re anywhere  _ near _ it, you’ll be gone and definitely won’t go back.” 

“I know.” He whispered. “I know that.” 

“You can’t seriously be thinking about this.” She laughed bitterly. “Your family....” 

“My job right now is to protect  _ you _ guys.” 

“No it’s not! We protect each other and right now I’m just trying to protect you.” 

“You have. Better than anyone else could’ve. Now it’s my turn to repay you.” 

“No, no you can repay me by not being stupid.” She said evenly, moving forward to hold onto his T-shirt. “Don’t try to be the hero.” 

He stared back at her as if he was considering what she said, but instead he did something she hadn’t expected. 

“I love you.” He whispered, leaning down to kiss her quickly, and before she could reply or even register what had happened he was running, catching her by surprise so that she didn’t have enough time to pull him back. 

“Lucas!” She exclaimed, starting to follow, only to find herself being held back by Steve.

“Let me go, Steve! He can’t do this. Let me go!” 

“Max you can’t risk yourself too.” 

“I don’t  _ care _ ! Let me go.” Lucas was halfway down the hill, the demodogs once again changing their course to follow him instead. 

“Lucas stop!” She yelled in a panic, which caused the monsters’ attention to snap to her, getting them off his back for a half a second. 

Just as Lucas reached the road the fire finally reached the gas pumps, and the station exploded, a giant mushroom cloud of fire launching into the air, a dark, black cloud of smoke instantly surrounding everything within a couple hundred feet, making it impossible to see. 

Max felt her stomach drop, and she stopped struggling, her eyes firmly locked on the fire for one thing, and one thing only. The smoke cleared to reveal several partially or completely fried demodog carcasses, some reduced to nothing but a pile of ashes. She couldn’t see Lucas anywhere, a blackened spot where he had been standing last. 

“Lucas!” She screamed, her voice breaking as she started to struggle against Steve again, trying to break free. “No.  _ No _ ! Lucas!” 

She wanted to cry, wanted to relieve some of the pain. But she couldn’t. Her heart was in her throat but the tears wouldn’t come. She watched as the sky filled with black smoke, and more dogs approached to see what the explosion had been. Steve tugged her away, pulling her further into the forest, because they knew they didn’t have enough time to sit around. She felt her heart breaking into a million pieces because she knew Lucas wouldn’t come back this time. He was gone. Forever, and there was nothing she could’ve done to stop him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to search up a gas station explosion to write this and I tried to describe it but it was too big to put into words so I hope I did it some justice. I don’t wanna stretch this story out too long because I feel like it’s just getting way too long so I won’t make it past 20 chapters just for the sake of everyone. Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	17. Grief

Max didn’t talk the whole way there. Her hand tightened around the crossbow in her hands, which she’d now claimed as her own. She wouldn’t let anyone touch it, even when Steve tried to take it to carry it for her. 

“No!” She’d objected, a little more forcefully than she intended. “Don’t touch it.” 

She’d given Will the gun, she didn’t want to use it anymore. Her mind kept replaying the movie of Lucas running down the hill, an army of demodogs ready to attack him right as the gas station exploded. She’d pulled his canvas jacket around her tighter, buttoning it up completely. 

Lucas never buttoned it up, he always left it open, but she didn’t care, she wanted to feel that at least some part of him was with her, in his jacket, in the crossbow and in the clothes he’d shoved into her backpack to make room for the flamethrowers in his own. 

She closed her eyes, hearing his last words echo through her mind. “I love you.” She could still feel his t-shirt under her hand and him kissing her, she’d never feel either again. 

She opened her eyes, looking up toward Steve, who was about twenty feet in front of her. She didn’t dare look back at all the others, who were all behind her, trying to give her space because she’d snapped at them all to leave her alone. 

“We’re here.” Steve announced turning to face them, Max looked around, but she didn’t see anything but forest for miles. 

“Where?” She asked, raising her arms in the air. “I see nothing but plants.” She knew she was being rude, but she didn’t care. She’d just lost Lucas and her stupid body wouldn’t even allow her to cry like she knew she was supposed to be doing. It looked like she didn’t even care. 

Steve kneeled down and, without a word, pulled open what looked like the door to a submarine, a small ladder disappearing down into the darkness. 

“After you.” He whispered. She could’ve just jumped down the hole without using the ladder and not cared when her knees buckled under her. She wanted to feel some kind of pain, anything that would prove she was still a human, still real, but instead she lowered herself down rung by rung, until her feet touched solid ground. 

Steve hopped down beside her, reaching out to flip on a generator, the lights all flickering to life.

The submarine-looking bunker was bigger than the bunker they’d just been staying in. There were rows of bunk beds lining the walls, a single couch sitting just outside the kitchen in front of a coffee table. The kitchen was about the same size, a small sink, fridge and table but this time it had a microwave. There were two small separate rooms, one of them was a bathroom, she knew because she could just barely make out the toilet inside, and the other she assumed was a closet. 

“What is this?” She asked softly. 

“I think it was some kind of bomb shelter.” Steve whispered as the others climbed in behind them. “Max, listen—”

“I’m gonna go to bed.” She whispered, walking over to the nearest bunk and dropping her backpack on the floor beside it. She gently put the crossbow on one of the nightstands in between the beds and laid down on the bottom bunk. 

She could hear everyone whispering behind her, and she knew it was about Lucas. She didn’t need a genius to know they were all concerned about how she was taking this, how she hadn’t shed a single tear in the last three hours they’d walked here. They were all crying, and she only knew that because she could hear them. They were so freaking loud and it was annoying her. 

She felt a sharp pain against her side, something pressing against her as she settled into the bed. She propped herself up on her elbow and realized there was something in the pocket of the canvas jacket that she was still wearing. She sat up, hearing everyone behind her get a little quieter. Her fingers closed around what felt like a book, and as she pulled it out that’s exactly what she found. It was a small, black leather bound book, the same one Lucas had taken from his bedroom because he was afraid of forgetting. She opened to the page that was bookmarked by the small black ribbon attached to the book, surprised to find her own face staring back at her. 

It was her and Lucas on the very first day of highschool, freshman year. She’d ridden over to his house that morning so they could go to school together, and his mom had insisted on taking pictures. On the left page was probably the only nice pictures the two of them had ever taken, Lucas’s arm was hung over her shoulder, hers wrapped around his waist, the two of them smiling at the camera. He was wearing a blue varsity style letterman jacket and a white t-shirt with black jeans, she was wearing her blue jeans and a black Vans t-shirt, her hair pulled up into a ponytail. The picture on the right page described their relationship more clearly, and she liked it a lot more than the first one. They were practically leaning against each other, Lucas’s elbow propped against her shoulder with his fingers on his chin like he was thinking about something really hard. Her arms were folded across her chest, rolling her eyes at him with a smile on her face. 

She smiled, but felt her breathing catch in her throat. She could still  _ see  _ him with these pictures. It wasn’t the same as hugging him or running her hand through his hair but it was  _ something _ . 

She flipped to another page, finding a picture of him after his final basketball game of the season. He was in his white home jersey, with a matching white shooting sleeve on his left arm. Their team had finished first in the district, and even though Lucas was all sweaty Max was on his back, her arms stretched out as Lucas held onto her so she didn’t fall off, laughing so hard they hadn’t even been able to take a real picture. 

She could feel tears building in her eyes now, but she  _ wanted _ to cry, so she flipped to the next picture. She realized the bookmark had been marking where the start of all of the pictures with the two of them were, meaning Lucas had been looking at them. If it wasn’t for Mrs Sinclair they wouldn’t have had  _ any  _ pictures of the two of them. 

She flipped the page and found a picture she’d never seen before. The two of them were sitting on a porch swing, their backs to the camera, Lucas’s arm around her shoulder. It looked like the picture was taken through the kitchen window. She could remember being out there because they’d gone outside to get some air after she had a panic attack. She hadn’t realized anyone else had noticed. She couldn’t remember what she’d panicked about, but Lucas had been there immediately to help her. 

The first tear fell down her cheek and she closed the book, probably a little harder than she should’ve, tossing it onto the bed behind her as she leaned forward against her knees. Everyone else in the bunker was silent, most likely watching her to see any sign of wanting someone to comfort her. She felt tears leaking down her cheeks now, finally feeling how scared she actually was. Scared that Lucas was gone and she would never see him again, scared of having to tell his parents, if they would be mad at her for not trying harder. She was scared of living the rest of her life without her best friend, without making any new memories and eventually forgetting the old ones. 

Her stomach felt suddenly empty, and she felt like throwing up. Lucas was gone. She was alone. They wouldn’t both see his family like she promised. 

She yelled out in frustration, kicking the nightstand and knocking the crossbow onto the floor. She didn’t check to see if she broke it, even though she was worried about it. Instead she stood up and made her way towards the bathroom, ignoring all the eyes that were focused on her. 

“Hey.” Steve whispered, intercepting her path. “It’s gonna be okay. Ok?” 

“I’m so sick of everyone saying that!” She burst. “Because obviously it’s not going to be okay! Lucas is  _ dead  _ and I  _ just got him back!  _ I didn’t get to have him back for more than a  _ day _ before losing him again and you’re all expecting me to be  _ fine _ !” 

“No. No Max we’re not expecting you to be fine.” he whispered. “I know it’s hard but—” 

“But it’s going to get better? Huh? When? Because so far my life’s just gotten worse and worse.” 

“Max.” He whispered, setting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off, pushing past him towards the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her, but as soon as she was alone her anger slipped away. She leaned her back against the door, sliding down to the floor and pulling her knees to her chest. Small sobs escaped her lips and tears streamed down her face. 

_ “Lucas is dead and I just got him back!”  _ How had she said that without cracking? She didn’t want to believe he was actually gone, didn’t want to believe that she would never see him again. She started to cry harder. 

“No.” She whimpered. “No no no no.” There was a knock on the door, she could feel the vibrations against her back as clearly as she heard it. 

“Max.” El said gently. “Can we talk?” 

“I don’t want to talk.” She gasped, finding more tears falling when she tried to speak. “Just leave me alone.” 

She heard El leaving, and suddenly she wondered if maybe she actually did want her friend there. Maybe she wanted someone to stop the pain. 

__

_ But this is what you wanted.  _ A voice argued in her head.  _ You wanted to feel pain and you are, so why are you complaining?  _

She  _ had  _ wanted to feel pain, feel something to prove to herself that she wasn’t heartless, that she was still real, but it hurt more than she’d ever imagined it would. She wanted the pain to go away, wanted her whole body to stop shaking because of the fear, she didn’t want to be scared anymore. 

“You promised I wouldn’t be alone.” She whispered to herself, remembering what Lucas had said in the store just hours before. “You just gave yourself away without thinking and now I’m alone and scared and hurt and I don’t know what to do.” 

She stretched her legs out, the floor cold through her jeans. She’d just realized that she hadn’t responded the last two times he said he loved her, and now she felt that emptiness again, dread, regret and pained anguish all building up as she moved to the toilet and threw up the bile in the back of her throat. 

She needed more time, she had to make things right. She just wanted to hug him one last time and tell him she loved him, more than anything in the world, that he was the most important thing in her life and the best thing that had ever happened to her, but he was gone.

Gone forever. 

She kept thinking those two words over and over, trying to convince herself that this was  _ real _ , and maybe if she thought about it long enough, the pain would go away. 

_______________________________________

“There’s six stages of grief.” The counselor was telling her. She didn’t  _ want  _ a counselor, but her mom had said it was easier for her to talk to someone after Billy had died. “There's shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then acceptance.” 

Max opened her eyes in the darkness. She wasn’t sure why that memory kept popping into her head. She pretty much had the first five all lumped together anyways. 

She shifted, adjusting her hold on the jacket she was holding onto. She didn’t care about the weird looks everyone had given her when she’d put on one of Lucas’ hoodies that had been in her backpack and had gone to bed holding onto the canvas jacket like it was a teddy bear, it made her feel not as scared. She wasn’t sure why. 

She reached up to wipe at her eyes with her already wet sleeve. She’d stopped crying willingly a long time ago, but everytime she woke up her eyes were still wet, like she was crying without having control. She hated it. 

“Max? You awake?” Dustin whispered from the bed across from her. 

“Yeah.” She whispered, her voice rough and raspy from not talking. 

“You ok?” 

“No.” 

She heard rustling, and he appeared in front of her, kneeling down beside her bed so that they were eye level. 

“You wanna talk about it?” She almost said no, but she’d been laying here for almost four hours, and she kept waking up every fifteen minutes. She  _ needed  _ someone to talk to. She just wasn’t sure if she could. 

“It hurts.” She whimpered. “More than when my mom left me alone.” She wasn’t sure he’d understand that, because she’d only told Lucas about it, but he just nodded, pushing some of her hair away from her face. 

“I know.” 

“You do?” 

“I was eight when my dad died.” He whispered. She looked up at him in the darkness. She’d never actually heard why his dad was gone, she never really thought to ask him. “I felt like...like I would never be happy again. I had to wake up every morning and learn I would never see his face again. It was a lot to get used to.” She could tell he was crying just by his voice, but he was hiding better than she was. 

“What did you do?” 

“I had friends.” He whispered. “Lucas, Mike and Will were there for me whenever I needed something. They offered me an escape, so that I didn’t have to think about it.” 

“But I don’t  _ want  _ to stop thinking about him.” She tried to explain. “I...I don’t want to forget him.” 

“I know. It’s not him you’ll forget. It’s just all the pain.” 

“I don’t want to let him go.” A small sob tore out of her throat, and she buried her face in the jacket, trying to concentrate on Dustin stroking her hair and not on the fear once again building up. “I’m scared.” 

“I know. It’s scary I know it is.” She was shaking, pulling the jacket closer as if it could stop if she remembered Lucas, but it only made her cry harder. 

“He was my  _ home _ Dustin.” She’d never admitted that out loud, that Lucas was her safe place, but she had to tell somebody why it was hurting her so much. 

“I loved him so much.” She choked, her words coming out watery and strained beyond her ability to hide it. 

“And he loved you. Which is why he did what he did.” 

“He didn’t even think about himself, or how it would affect us all—how it would affect  _ me _ he just...did it.” 

“It was stupid and he knew it was.” He agreed. “But he had his reasons.” 

“Stupid reasons.” She mumbled. Dustin let out a small laugh. 

“Yeah. Stupid.” She smiled, trying to imagine how Dustin had the ability to make everything seem not so scary. 

“Promise it’ll get better?” 

“I promise.” He sounded so sure, and the happy, goofy Dustin she knew never seemed sad, which made her believe him even more. If someone as happy as Dustin could ever feel pain, and recover from it, she knew there was hope for her, she would be ok.

_______________________________________

“Max.” She opened her eyes to see the person shaking her shoulder, almost falling off the bed or...couch, when Lucas was standing in front of her. He was wearing his navy blue t-shirt and a pair of black jeans, just like he’d been wearing when she saw him last. 

“Hey. Good morning.” He smiled. She looked around, confused as she sat up on the couch instead of the bunk bed. They were still in the first bunker, her shoes were off and she was covered in the same red blanket she’d worn that night she’d fallen asleep. 

“What?” He asked, noticing her expression as he kneeled down next to the couch. “What’s wrong?” 

“You...I saw you...you died.” She stammered, trying to make sense of all of this. Everything was  _ yesterday _ , but...different. El was still sitting at the table, everyone else was gone. His smile faded into a glare as she turned back to him. 

“You’re right, you did watch me die. Why didn’t you stop me?” 

“What?” 

“It’s your fault I’m gone Max.” Her stomach dropped and she sucked in a breath. “You could’ve done better.” 

“Lucas.” 

“Don’t forget that.” Everything faded into black, his voice echoing around her. 

She sat up straight, bumping her head on the bed above her. 

“Ow.” She mumbled, reaching up to rub her forehead. 

“Woah, you ok there?” Will asked, closing his book and hanging his feet over the edge of the top bunk of the bed beside her. She looked up at him, and then around the rest of the room. They were back in the submarine looking bunker, and everyone was here, but no Lucas. She’d been dreaming.

_ Shock… _ she still couldn’t really believe he was gone.  _ Check  _

_ Denial... _ She didn’t _ want  _ to believe he was gone.  _ Check _

_ Anger… _ She wished she could’ve done more, but she was also mad at the world for taking from her again. _ Check.  _

_ Bargaining... _ she hadn’t noticed that yet. 

_ Depression... _ most definitely. 

_ Acceptance... _ nope _.  _

“Max?” She looked up at Will again, realizing she hadn’t answered. 

“Yeah. Fine.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah just...weird dream. I’m fine.” 

“Ok...are you—ready to go tonight?” She knew he had almost asked if she was ok, but then decided against it instead. She was slightly grateful for it. Will, out of everyone, would know better than to ask if she was ok. He knew what she felt like, that after you went through something hard the most annoying thing ever was hearing the same thing over and over. 

“Yeah, are we going all the way there tonight?” He nodded. 

“With luck we’ll be back to our families by Tuesday.” She did the math in her head. Four days. Four days to figure out what to say to the Sinclair’s. She couldn’t exactly walk up to them and outright tell them: 

__

_ “Hey Lucas is gone but I still want you to love me like part of the family.”  _

“Awesome.” She said, giving him a fake smile, he probably saw right through it, but if he did he didn’t mention it. 

_______________________________________

They’d gotten to the next safe point faster, with no dog attacks or even sightings, and they probably could’ve made it to the next one if they weren’t so tired of walking. 

The day in the bunker had been boring, per usual. But Max had tried to keep herself distracted by hanging out with the party, the five of them playing what are the odds and never have I ever, which resulted in Will accidently admitting he had had a girlfriend, which he quickly took back. They pushed and pushed until he finally admitted that he had, his ears and cheeks flushing a bright shade of red, but he wouldn’t admit who or when. 

They’d played poker with the face cards and used some candy that they’d found in a random cabinet as betting chips, but it took awhile to teach El, who in the end kicked all of their butts anyway so it wasn’t even worth it. They weren’t mad though, the candy was kinda stale, and was probably a hundred years old. The good news was she hadn’t cried all day. 

This safe point was way smaller than the other two. It was kinda like the storage seller at Dustin’s house, with two metal doors that opened up to a staircase leading halfway down to the center of the earth, or that’s what it seemed like. 

It was a small square room with just enough cots for all nine of them, with a few beanbags and extra blankets shoved into the corners, not that they would use them. There wasn’t a kitchen or any couches, and it was uncomfortably hot, making it hard to sleep as she rolled around in the darkness, and she wasn’t the only one struggling. 

Mike had kicked off his blankets and was now sleeping curled up into a ball, Will’s leg was hanging out of his blanket and over the edge of the bed, his forehead beaded with sweat, and only half of Dustin’s blanket was still on his body where he laid sprawled out star-fish style on his stomach. 

She reached up, wiping some sweat off her own forehead with her arm. She’d changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and as a last resort she was using her hoodie as a pillow, because this place was so small it didn't even have  _ that.  _

“You sound like a spoiled rich kid.” She could almost hear Lucas telling her, and she laughed.

“Yeah yeah I know.” She whispered out loud. 

She figured she should at least admit to herself why she didn’t  _ really  _ want to go to sleep. Yes, it was painfully hot and that was making it hard anyways but the  _ truth _ was she didn’t want to have to face “dream Lucas” again. The one that was angry with her and didn’t have the same welcoming chocolate brown eyes. The only Lucas she ever dreaded seeing. She’d only slept twice since the accident (she’d taken a nap before they’d left again) and he’d showed up both times. She wasn’t sure she wanted to face him anymore. 

One of the beds shifted, and she looked up to see Steve’s silhouette stand up in the darkness. He pulled on a hoodie and grabbed his bat, walking back up the stairs without even acknowledging her presence as he walked past her bed. Either he thought she was asleep, or he didn’t bother to check. 

She heard one of the metal doors squeak open, and a trail of moonlight flowed down the stairs and up the wall. She propped herself up on her elbows, trying to decide whether or not to follow him when the door closed, and he made his way back down the stairs again, yawning as he tossed his bat into the pile of beanbags. 

“What’re you doing?” She’d never seen him jump that high, in fact, he hit his head against the low ceiling. 

“Max,  _ why  _ are you awake?” He asked, rubbing his head. 

“I asked you first.” 

“I was peeing. Sheesh, what’d you expect me to do? Take a leak in the corner?” 

“Please don’t.” She grimaced. It was bad enough down here. 

“Exactly. Now answer my question. Why are you awake?” 

“Because you’re standing here talking to me.” 

“I’m serious.” He said evenly, glancing at his watch. She could see the green glow of the numbers against his face. “It’s three in the morning.” 

“Because it’s hotter than Hades in here.” 

“I didn’t know you were into Romans.” 

“Greek. And ew.” 

“Yeah yeah whatever. Are you sure this isn’t about Lucas?” She wasn’t sure the room could physically get colder, but suddenly she felt as if someone had dumped a tray of ice cubes down the back of her shirt. He’d said it so casually, as if Lucas was away at summer camp instead of burnt to a crisp. 

“It’s  _ not _ .” She said it a little more forcefully than intended, which she knew was a dead give away she was lying. 

“Max—”

“I don’t wanna talk about Lucas right now.” 

“You can’t just hold this all in.” 

“I’m not!” She exclaimed in a whisper. “Was I just invisible yesterday? Was my  _ crying _ invisible?”

“I just meant you should talk to someone.” 

“I talked to Dustin.” She mumbled. “And Will.” She hadn’t necessarily talked to Will about it but she’d say anything to get Steve to leave her alone now. 

“Ok, but if that’s not enough I’m here for you. Ok?” 

“K.” She grumbled, laying down again. She rolled to her side with her back to him in an attempt to end the conversation, but apparently Steve wasn’t done. 

“I saw your face when that station exploded.” He whispered. She closed her eyes. 

_ Ignore him.  _

“You’re scared Max.” Never mind. 

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do. You’ve always been independent and you still are.” He added quickly. “But when you watched Lucas disappear into that cloud of smoke I saw something inside of you break.” 

“There’s nothing broken.” She bit. Why was she denying the truth? “I’m fine.” 

“Ok.” Steve whispered, defeated. “Then I’ll leave you alone. Goodnight.” 

She didn’t answer, staring at the pile of beanbags, the bat leaning up against it made it look like someone was sitting there. She squeezed her eyes shut, but when she opened it she still saw the same thing: Lucas was sitting there. He  _ had  _ to be. It was him, not a baseball bat but  _ him _ . 

She let out a breath and closed her eyes again. “Stage two.” She muttered bitterly. “Denial.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess whose school starts tomorrow 😐  
> I really would rather lock myself in my bedroom for the next nine months than go. I’ve been writing to try and finish this and I think the total number of chapters will be right at 20.   
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	18. Numb

It'd been three days. Three days of not crying, but still waking up with nightmares, the image of Lucas’s eyes looking into hers still fuzzy in her mind every time. Sometimes he was nice, and all she wanted to do was to hug him and let him hold her, but he always disappeared when she tried to touch him, making her startle awake again. Other times he was blaming her for his death, always angry with her. The truth was, she hadn’t gotten any real sleep in those three days. She blocked out everything around her when she was awake. 

They’d traveled from one safe point to the other, and they only had one more stop before home, but even those days were all molded together. It always started with waking up in a new place, then waiting for it to get dark out as they sat in their unbelievably boring shelter, before walking for hours, until eventually she was convinced her feet would fall off, and suddenly they were there. She would crash on the nearest bed, and the nightmares started immediately. 

“Hey.” She jumped, her attention whipping to El as her friend quickly pulled her hand away from her shoulder, as if Max’s sudden movements had scared her. She hadn’t realized she’d been zoning out of the entire conversation Will and Dustin were having with her, El and Mike. She was sitting on the floor with her back against the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she rested her chin against her arms. She’d just been staring at a space just over Will’s shoulder, but she hadn’t realized he’d been talking to her. 

“What?” She asked, sitting up a little straighter. They were all looking at her as if she’d just told them she’d robbed a bank. “What!” 

“You blanked out for like, ten minutes.” Dustin said. “You ok?” 

“I’m fine. I’m just tired.” 

“You were the  _ last _ one awake” Mike pointed out, sounding annoyed that she’d even dare to mention she was tired. 

“Doesn’t mean I slept,  _ Michael _ .” He held his hands up in surrender, rolling his eyes at the emphasis she put on his full name. The two of them had constantly been at each other’s throats, the more time they were forced to live in the same one room the worse it got. If  _ he  _ had nightmares like that every night she was positive he’d be taking it worse than she was. 

“Got it,  _ Maxine. _ ” She set her jaw, doing everything in her power not to throw a pillow at his stupid face. 

“What’re you thinking about?” El asked, sensing the tension and trying to change the subject. Max hated that her friend could read her so easily when no one else could. 

“Nothing.” She mumbled before she could stop herself, leaning her chin against her arm again. 

“Sure seems like nothing.” Mike mumbled. El slapped his shoulder, and the other boys gave him a look that warned him to shut up, but she’d had enough of him. 

“What’s your problem?” She stretched her legs out in front of her and sat up a little straighter, glaring at him. 

“Oh, what’s  _ my  _ problem?” He scoffed.  _ “You’re _ the one snapping at us all for no reason.” 

“I haven’t snapped at  _ anyone _ but  _ you, _ and that was because you started it.” 

“ _ You started it _ .” He mocked, laughing at her. “You sound like a preschooler, Max.” 

“At least I don't have the  _ brain capacity  _ of one.” She shot back, feeling her hands involuntary tightening into fists in her lap. 

He opened his mouth to retaliate, but his gaze flicked down to her hands, then back up at her. His eyes were glowing in that way when he knew he was getting on her nerves. “You gonna punch me, Max?” 

“Thinking about it.” She growled, gritting her teeth together. He scoffed. 

“Guys—“ El warned, glancing between the two of them. 

“Do your  _ worst _ , Lucas would’ve left a better mark.” Max lunged at him, but before she could get to him Will was in front of her, holding her back. 

“You didn’t deserve to be his friend!” She spit at Mike, struggling to get out of Will’s grasp. “I bet you don’t even care he’s gone!” 

“You didn’t deserve him at  _ all _ .” Mike retaliated, his face red with anger as El moved forward to push him away when he stood up. “I don’t know what he even saw in you.” She froze, her hands still balled into fists, but she let Will push her back as El dragged Mike outside to “get some air”. 

She hoped it was code for  _ somehow get her powers back and throw him across the forest with her mind.  _

“Don’t listen to him.” Will said, finally letting go of her when the metal door screamed shut and Mike disappeared from her line of sight. “He’s just moody.” 

“He’s  _ always  _ moody.” She pointed out. “And he never attacks anyone else for it. It’s always  _ me.  _ He acts like I ruin his life just by existing!” She gestured angrily toward the door El and Mike had disappeared through, not even acknowledging Dustin when he kneeled down in front of her beside Will. 

“Listen, Max. What he said was...he crossed the line. That was wrong. I don’t know why he got so mad but he shouldn’t have said that.” 

“Yeah, no sh—”

“But!” Dustin interrupted, receiving a very dirty look. “This isn’t—isn’t to upset you or anything but...is this—was that about Lucas?” 

“You mean why am  _ I _ acting moody?” She corrected him, sinking back against the bed frame as she folded her arms across her chest. 

“No...no not moody—”

“I’m not stupid, Dustin. I know what you’re trying to say.” 

“You’ve just seemed really...distant lately.” Will offered helpfully, sinking back a little when she looked at him. 

“I just wanna get home.” She said simply, shrugging her shoulders as if her answer matched her behavior. It didn’t. “So I don’t have to see Mike and his stupid face anymore.” 

They both nodded, looking at each other and making a silent agreement that they’d leave her alone now, standing up and moving to the kitchen. 

Max watched them go, then pulled a small book out of the canvas jacket’s pocket as soon as they were out of reach. She’d worn the jacket almost every day now, whenever they were sitting around in the bunker and she was cold or when walking to the next safe point, she had it on, but never when she was sleeping. Instead she would wear one of Lucas’s old hoodies, which fit her perfectly but was probably too small for him now. No one had mentioned it so far. She doubted they would. 

She flipped the book open to the page she’d book marked. It had pictures of Lucas, in every year of school, ranging from kindergarten to ninth grade, all glued in side by side. She’d looked at almost all the pictures in the book in the past couple days, but for some reason this one page was her favorite, she got to see ten different versions of his smile, all his different outfits and hairstyles, the way he’d gone from a child to almost a literal (looking) adult. 

“...worried about her…” she caught Will whispering. She glanced at them out of the corner of her eye, but didn’t turn to look at them, straining her ears to hear what they were saying. 

“...since Lucas...getting further...we’re losing her…” She heard Dustin whisper something back, but she couldn’t make it out. 

She knew they were talking about her, but for some reason she found herself not caring. They could think whatever they wanted, nothing was wrong with her. She looked down at the pictures again, realizing with a start that she didn’t feel the usual happiness or sudden sadness she got when looking at these pictures, and she didn’t care...that her friends were talking about her behind her back. Since when had that not affected her? 

She’d been angry with Mike, but as she thought about it, that was one of the first  _ real _ emotions she’d felt in days. She’d closed herself off without knowing it, and she wasn’t sure she could stop. 

She looked down at the page again, flipping from picture to picture, trying to remember what they’d made her feel the first time, hopping one of them would bring _something_ back. She saw Lucas and the boys winning a science award, his family pictures, first day of school, family vacation, the two of them, at the park, in the backyard having a water fight, but she still wasn’t feeling _anything_ , although she _did_ physically feel a sharp pain in her stomach, a panic forming somewhere deep inside her. 

She closed the book, swearing under her breath as she shoved it back into her pocket, the door opening as El and Mike came back inside. Max glared at him, and he glared back, luckily going to sit on the couch instead of coming back over to her. 

“Ok let’s get going!” Steve announced, clapping his hands to get their attention as he walked out of the bedroom that the four older kids were sharing (yeah this place had two rooms. WhoopDeFreakingDoo). No one moved, and Max kept her gaze glued to the floor, focusing on a chipped piece in the concrete as she tried to remember if she’d experienced anything other than anger with Mike in the past few days. So far, she had nothing. 

“Whoa, ok what happened in here?” Steve laughed. 

No one answered. 

“Ooooook.” He dragged the word out awkwardly, the other three teens filing out of the room with their bags already on. 

“Whoa I can  _ feel  _ the tension in here...” Robin said, her words faltering when they all looked at her and she seemed to realize she was talking out loud. “Sorry.” 

“Let’s just go.” Max muttered, standing up and grabbing her backpack and the crossbow, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she pushed her way through everyone and opened the door, a gust of wind tearing at her clothes. 

“Oh  _ now  _ she stays silent.” She heard Mike mumble as she walked out into the cold night, but she didn’t respond, not looking back to see if the others were following her or not. 

To be honest, she wouldn’t really care if they didn’t. 

_______________________________________

“Hey.” Robin jogged to catch up with her, leaving Steve and the others a good fifteen—twenty feet behind them. It was darker than usual tonight, the light from the moon and the stars just barely enough to keep them from running into a tree. 

“I know we haven’t really talked much but…I’m really, really sorry about Lucas. I know how much he meant to you.” Robin whispered sincerely. 

“Yeah.” Max mumbled, adjusting her backpack further up her shoulders. “Everyone always is.” 

The older girl didn’t seem to know how to respond to that, glancing back at Steve. “Did...something happen, with the boys?” 

“Just Mike being a total jerk like always.” Max said casually. “I would’ve knocked his teeth in if Will hadn’t stopped me.” 

“I feel like this happens a lot…” 

“No bad enough that I want to rearrange his face.” Robin laughed nervously, then seemed to realize she was serious, and not in the mood. The two didn’t really talk—or interact much, so they didn’t understand each other as well as the others. 

“Look. I know we’re not like the best of friends, but I think you’re cool, Max.” 

“Thanks.” She mumbled, looking down at her dirtied vans. They  _ used  _ to be red, but now they were some weird shade of brown from walking in them so much. “You’re cool too, and I’m sorry I’m being a jerk. I  _ do  _ want to be friends with you and stuff it’s just...lots going on.” 

“I get it.” Robin said. “I don’t want to force you to hangout or anything just...I’m here if you need someone to talk to.” Max mumbled a thanks, not bothering to mention that almost everyone had told her that now, but even though she’d known them all for three years she still didn’t want to talk to any of them. She  _ couldn’t  _ talk to any of them. If she couldn’t even feel her own emotions how was she supposed to express them to her friends? 

“Hey, Robin, can I talk to Max for a second?” Steve said, jogging to catch up with the two of them. Max rolled her eyes. 

“Yeah sure.” Robin said, not seeming to notice Max’s uncomfortableness, falling back to walk next to Dustin, the two automatically becoming engaged in a conversation about some weird book or something. 

“Suddenly everyone wants to talk to me now huh?” Max mumbled, keeping her eyes ahead. 

“Lucas disappears and suddenly I’m the center of attention?” She could feel Steve’s gaze on her, but she refused to face him. 

“Max we’re just trying to help.” He said quietly, like he was trying to keep the others from listening. 

“I don’t want  _ or need  _ your help.” She snapped, looking up at him to find him looking right back. “I’ve dealt with enough crap in my life to know I’ll get over this eventually,  _ by myself _ .” 

“But you shouldn’t  _ have  _ to do it by yourself.” 

“What if I want to?” 

“You  _ want  _ to suffer, in that mind of yours...alone?” He asked suspiciously. She had to admit that sounded stupid when he said it out loud, but she didn’t want to, so she didn’t answer, instead focusing all of her attention on the worn path in front of them. 

“Max all I’m saying is we’re still your family—” 

“I don't  _ have  _ a family, Steve!” She yelled, stepping in front of him to stop him, he stopped so abruptly he almost ran into her. The other’s conversations all cut off, looking up to see what the matter was. 

“My family died with Lucas.” 

“That’s not true.” 

“Oh really?” She challenged, taking a step forward, confronting him, even though he was a full foot taller than her. She honestly didn’t care. 

“I had to watch my parents divorce when I was  _ seven years old. _ I only got to see my dad on the weekends. I had to watch my mom remarry a  _ monster _ without even asking me what I thought about it. He controlled our life while I had  _ no _ control or even a  _ choice _ to stay when I was forced to  _ move away  _ from California and leave my dad and  _ all of my friends _ behind, leave my life behind, because I was, in Neil’s eyes, just a kid and didn’t know better. I had to leave  _ Nate  _ behind, he was my best friend since I was six years old. I hung out with him every day for seven years and I’ll probably never see him again. I had to start my whole social life over, go days of being shut out everytime the boys wanted to talk about Will or the upside down, I had to live without friends until Lucas finally went out of his way to forget the party rules and include me in this whole mess. I  _ lost Billy, _ watched him  _ die  _ right in front of me and watched as my own  _ mother  _ abandoned me and left me alone. The Sinclair’s were my only chance of a normal family and suddenly they were taken from me too, and all I had was Lucas. He’s.  _ Gone _ . I had no choice but to watch him leave me here. Alone. Because  _ you _ held me back. I don’t  _ have _ a family anymore.” 

“Max.” 

“What!” She burst. “Why do you have the sudden urge to protect me? Where was that urge when you  _ disappeared  _ three months ago?” 

“I already told you—”

“I can’t rely on anyone anymore, because the second I decide to love someone else and let them in, I’m going to lose them again. They’ll just disappear. It’s always what happens. Always. So just stay away!” She was breathing hard, eight surprised faces staring back at her. She couldn’t tell if they were more shocked she’d spoken more than a sentence for the first time in days or if they’d actually listened to what she said, she didn’t even know where that had all come from, her mind had acted on autopilot, she hadn’t even had to think about what she was saying, the words just flowed out of her like a prepared speech. 

“C'mon. Let’s go. Don’t wanna be late.” She muttered, spinning around on her heel as she kept walking, loosening her grip on the crossbow in her hands. She hadn’t noticed how tightly she’d been holding onto it while talking with him, her knuckles turning white. 

“Hey.” Steve whispered gently, reaching out and catching her shoulder but she ignored him, shrugging him off and continuing to walk away. 

“Max.” She ignored him. 

“Max!” It was El this time, and she felt herself freeze for half a second before she kept walking. El had sounded worried, but it was probably just because she was acting like a spoiled brat. 

“Max! Seriously! Stop!” She spun around to face them at Will’s voice. They hadn’t moved, and were all looking at her with terrified expressions. 

“What!” She exclaimed, holding her arms in the air. Something growled from above her, and a panther sized demodog dropped from the tree branch above her, landing just a few inches in front of her, cutting her off from the others. She jumped back, if Will hadn't said something…

“Max run!” Steve yelled. “Run!” 

“What about…?” She felt the second emotion for that day: fear. She took a step back, the dog matching by taking one forward, the muscles in its back flexing as if it was about to pounce. 

“Max, run! Don't look back we’ll find you. Go!” She looked at the demodog growling in front of her, who didn’t seem to care about the other people behind it. For some reason it only cared about her, slowly moving closer. She looked back at the eight people who she’d just yelled at for trying to help her. If something happened to them...she didn’t want to think about that. 

“Go!” She spun around and ran. She knew they couldn’t just kill it right there, it would attract the rest right to them. She had to isolate it and find a way to kill it herself, like Nancy had taught her, they’d all talked about it together. 

Besides, if Jonathan would’ve shot it, there could’ve been fifty different possible outcomes. He could’ve missed and hit her instead, he could’ve actually  _ hit  _ the dog but ended up not killing it and having it attack her out of sheer anger. It wasn’t worth the risk. They couldn’t lose someone else. 

She tore through the forest at full speed, strapping the crossbow over her chest and throwing it over her backpack as she ran. She dodged low hanging branches and jumped over fallen logs and tree trunks, she pushed through bushes and shrubbery, but she could hear the dog behind her, getting closer and closer. She didn’t look back. 

She could feel thorns from the bushes and lower branches making small cuts on her hands and face, but she kept running, the pain was blocked out by the fear anyways, pure adrenaline coursing through her veins. 

The creature stopped somewhere behind her, and she paused, crouching behind a huge boulder and pulling out her weapon as the monster let out an inhumane roar, several more following after it, all close. He was calling his friends. She couldn’t kill it now. 

She swore under her breath, pushing herself to her feet and starting to run again. Her legs felt like lead, but she kept going. Her only motivation was getting to see the Sinclairs one more time. Even if they hated her and never wanted to see her again, she had to tell them about Lucas, that she was sorry, let them know she missed him probably as much as they did. 

There was a growl close behind her, and she poured on an extra boost of speed without looking back. She could hear that there were four maybe five dogs crashing through the underbrush behind her, and she knew she was screwed if even one of them got to her. Crossbows weren’t very good for shooting up close, and her knife was buried somewhere in her backpack because she’d forgotten to get it out before they left. 

She lost her footing, her feet going out from under her and luckily sending her rolling down a steep hill instead of just stopping, but unluckily feeling every single thing she hit on the way. It was pretty much the same as wiping out on her skateboard when she went down a steep hill, so she was used to it, but it still hurt.

She landed face down at the bottom, and quickly pushed herself backwards into a little overhanging area, the dogs jumping straight over her as they disappeared into the depths of the forest. Her only guess was the mud she’d landed in had thrown them off her scent, because even  _ she  _ could smell the rancid scent of it. 

She looked down at her clothes, her jacket and hoodie were covered in thick, dark brown muck and some random sticky plant that was a pain to try to take off. Her jeans were torn at the knee, revealing a small cut from rolling down the hill, but it didn’t hurt too bad. Her already hurt leg was searing with pain, but she was too busy rummaging through her backpack trying to find her knife to notice it. Her hands were shaking so much she could barely focus, and when they finally closed around the hilt she tried to ignore the way her heart beat sped up. 

_ Do it! Do. It. If you’ve ever cared about me at all you’ll do it. _

She swallowed, trying to shake away the memory of holding a knife to Lucas’s chest. That seemed so long ago, even though it had only been like four or five days. 

She pulled the knife out of her bag, strapping it to her leg for easier access if she just so happened to be attacked again. As soon as she finally  _ breathed  _ again, she felt the pain in her leg, wincing. 

She scooted herself further into the overhanging natural cave around her, until her back was pressed up against a solid wall of dirt and rock, hiding her from the outside world through all the shrubbery around her. 

She slumped back against the wall, leaning her head back as she let out a shaky breath of exhaustion. Her leg was on fire, and she weakly sat up, just enough to pull up her pant leg. The cut was bleeding again, not profusely but a decent amount, some of the stitches reopening. She could wrap it again but she was  _ positive _ she couldn't stitch it up like Dustin could, especially without supplies.

_ Dustin.  _

“No.” She groaned, covering her face with her hands. She’d  _ fought _ with Mike, she’d  _ snapped _ at Dustin and Will, she’d  _ yelled _ at Steve, she’d  _ ignored _ El and now she wasn’t sure when or  _ if _ she would see any of them again. 

She slumped backward against the wall again, losing any motivation to get up and start making her way back the way she’d come. The Sinclair’s didn’t seem as important now. She’d probably die in here and no one would notice anyway. She wasn’t exactly expecting anyone to come look for her. Steve had said they’d find her, but she’d run so far, she wasn’t sure she believed that anymore. 

She grudgingly fished a roll of bandages out of her backpack, cleaning the wound thoroughly enough before wrapping it around her leg as tightly as she could, biting her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain but forcing herself to continue. It was dark, and she was tired, she honestly wasn’t worried about anyone finding her hidden back here. Before she knew it she found herself falling asleep slumped against the wall, covered in mud and her own blood and absolutely exhausted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters to go. Any predictions before it ends? Hopefully I can make this an exciting finish but this will be the first story I’ve ever actually finished soooo fingers crossed I know how to close it up. Comments and Kudos are appreciated


	19. Home

She woke up to voices, also the sun blinding her but mostly the voices. She’d actually woken up about four hours before to a nightmare, which involved something along the lines of having to shoot Lucas with a crossbow when he attacked her but it was a bit fuzzy. She didn’t even want to remember it anyways, it had kinda freaked her out. 

The voices sounded far away but close at the same time, like she was dreaming, just barely tuning into the conversation.

_ Not another one.  _ She groaned. She didn’t want to live through another nightmare. Lately she’d been waking up only to find herself inside another dream, stuck in a loop. 

Everything looked a little fuzzy, aside from the excruciating brightness of the sun which was  _ as clear as noon day,  _ which coincidentally looked pretty much the same. She had no idea how to tell what time it was, because when she looked down at her watch she found it broken, she could only guess it was probably from rolling down a rocky hill at full speed. 

She pushed herself up to a sitting position, her head was throbbing because of a kink in her neck, and her legs were sore, as well as her arms… in fact, everything hurt excessively. 

“JJ, go check the traps over there.” A voice said, making her jump at how close they were. He’d sounded strangely familiar, and the name JJ...where had she heard that before? “I’ll check the places around this area. There were supposedly a couple dogs chasing something through this area last night.” 

“Got it, Captain.” She could hear footsteps retreating, and she realized they were right above her. 

She sunk back further into the shadows of her small half-hidden tunnel, hoping she blended in well enough to the bushes around her not to get caught. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or not still, her dreams were always this vivid anyways. She could usually feel things, though she wasn’t sure how, and the dirt under her hands felt like...well dirt, and it didn’t help her decipher anything. 

She heard the owner of the first voice walking around over her head, small bits of dirt falling from her makeshift ceiling, making her dirtier than she already was. 

“Crap.” She whispered under her breath, as a black pair of combat boots and a pair of black jeans coming into view, just visible to her from where she sat, but nothing else to identify the person. She shrunk back into the shadows, hoping and praying that whoever it was didn’t search her hiding place. 

She was wide awake now, her vision still a little blurry for some reason, but she was alert. She reached for the crossbow, loading it as quietly as she could, but one of the arrows fell out of the small quiver attached to the side, making a small ringing sound when the tip met a small rock. 

The person outside whipped around toward the noise, a black rifle made visible as they started to crouch down to look into the cave. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the worst. 

“Lucas!” The second voice called, running back over to him, stopping just in front of the entrance of her small cave. Her breathing stopped.

_ Lucas? _

“Nothing there. Dogs must have raided the traps yesterday cause they’re all torn up.” 

“That’s fine. We’ll get some more over by the creek.” She recognized his voice now that she was more awake, but it couldn’t be him. It couldn’t be him. She’d  _ seen _ him die. This was just another dream…it had to be. She couldn’t start hoping again as soon as she’d managed to get over it. 

“We met with the others. Said that someone got chased away last night. Do you think that’s what they could’ve been chasing? A person?” Her blood ran cold. JJ Petersen, six foot five, center on the varsity basketball team at Hawkins Highschool. That’s how she knew him. He’d been like an older brother to her, and a role model to Lucas. What was he doing here?

“Is it..do you think it’s...?” 

“I don’t know dude. Sorry.” 

“It’s...fine. You go ahead, I just...need to check something else real quick.” JJ mumbled an “okay” though he sounded confused, and she started to relax when she heard his footsteps getting further away, but that relief was quickly replaced with fear when the sunlight was slightly darkened as someone crouched at the entrance of the cave.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she tried not to make any noise as she looked at him. She couldn’t see any of his features, just a black silhouette against the harsh light, but she recognized his voice well enough. 

“Max?” She kept quiet, her breathing becoming more and more shallow. She wanted to hold him close, to reach out for him just to see if she could actually touch him this time. 

“Max? Are you back there?” His voice was so soft, so welcoming, she found herself answering before she could stop herself. 

“L-Lucas?” Her voice was shaky as well as her hands, which caused her to drop the crossbow beside her while he crawled further in. She hadn’t actually realized how tall the cave was until he was able to stand up almost completely. 

“There you are.” He whispered, pulling the gun strap off his shoulder and laying it on the ground beside him, crouching in front of her. “We were worried.” 

He was wearing a white shirt with a black bomber jacket over the top, his hair had been cut recently but was still in a flat top, just shorter and neater. His chocolate brown skin was clean and glowing in the golden sunlight, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. 

“Hey, you ok?” He reached towards her, and she flinched away, pushing herself back before his hand could touch her face. 

“Max. It’s me. What’s wrong?” He whispered gently. 

“Y-you’re not real.” She choked out, wrapping her arms around herself. “You’re not real I’m just dreaming again.” 

“No, no you’re not dreaming Max.” He laughed. 

“That’s what you always tell me and it ends up being a dream.” She must have looked pretty ridiculous because Lucas, whether he was real or not, seemed like he was trying to hold back another laugh. 

“Max you’re not dreaming.” 

“Yes I  _ am _ . I’m dreaming because I...because I  _ miss  _ you and I’ve been holding it all back from  _ everyone  _ for too long. Because all I really want is for you to come  _ home,  _ for you to come back to me, I’ve been secretly hoping that I’ll wake up and it’ll all just be a bad dream, but I know I can’t afford to hope.” The first tears fell down her cheeks, and she gasped out a breath. 

“Hey.” He whispered, reaching for her again. 

“Don’t touch me!” She flinched again, making Lucas pull back just as quickly. He didn’t look like he was laughing anymore, because he was seeing how seriously scared she was. 

“Please. You always disappear when I try to touch you and I just...I need to be able tell you this time.” He looked confused, also a little worried, but he dropped his hand, watching her intently. She didn’t know if she would ever have another dream of him not hating her guts and get the chance to admit all these feelings out loud to him, even if he wasn’t real she had to get it off her chest. 

“I—I'm sorry, ok? I know you want to hear that. I’m sorry I didn’t stop you. I  _ should’ve _ stopped you and it’s all my fault you’re gone.” Lucas shook his head in denial, but didn’t say anything. 

“I just need you to know that  _ I love you. _ ..so much. I’m sorry I didn’t say it back that night on the hill but I was  _ scared _ . I just wish I could hug you one more time and tell you to your face but I know I can’t do that anymore.” He was watching her patiently, tears pouring down her face, and he didn’t make any move to stop her. 

“I just want to _see_ you again.” She managed, her voice sounding small. “For _real_. I just want you to _hold_ _me_ because I’m so scared and it hurts so badly and I just feel so—so _alone_ and...I—I don’t know what to _do_ anymore, Lucas.” She looked up at him, waiting for him to respond, but he turned away, avoiding her eyes as he processed what she’d said. 

“Say  _ something _ .” She begged. “Tell me you still hate me. That it was my fault you died. Anything! I just can’t do this anymore. I see you every night and either you hate me or you just disappear and I need you to just answer me. Please.” He swallowed, taking a shaky breath. 

“Lucas…” another tear fell down her already wet cheek as he finally looked up at her, and she felt as if he were slipping away from her again. “...please.” 

“Am I allowed to touch you now?” He whispered. She nodded reluctantly, squeezing her eyes shut to prepare herself to wake up, to be back in the cold, dark bunker, crying in her bed when she realized it was just a dream _.  _

He wrapped his arms around her and she could feel it, but it was the same as the dirt under her palm: far away. She could feel the warmth radiating from him and the way his fingertips gently trailed down her arm, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she hugged him, trying to hold onto this moment as long as possible before it all ended. 

She felt herself slipping, and before she could stop herself, her eyes flew open. It was dark outside now instead, the light of the stars and the moon being her only source of real light in the cave, and Lucas wasn’t there holding her anymore. She choked, sinking back against the wall, curling in on herself. A small part of her had hoped it’d be real, even if she knew it was impossible. She missed him so much. 

It wasn’t  _ fair.  _

“Hey.” Someone whispered, the softness of their voice bouncing off the cave wall as around her. “You knocked out for awhile, are you ok?” 

She wasn’t stupid, this was just another dream, she’d been stuck in another trap. 

“Lucas I can’t do this anymore.” She whispered weakly. She didn’t know how close he was to her, but she knew he wasn't far. She could sense him. “Everytime I see you in my dreams I get another tiny sliver of hope that you’ll be here, but then I wake up and then you’re gone and it hurts all over again. I don’t know which is worse, trying to get over you or seeing you and being stupid enough to believe it’s really you. I _know_ this is another dream but _I_ _don’t want to believe it is._ I just want this to all be over.” 

“Hey.” She was full on crying now, the tears running down her cheeks in droves. She wasn’t sure how she’d held this all back for  _ three days.  _ She wasn’t sure how she’d numbed herself to all the fear and sadness tucked so deep inside of her. She couldn’t stop it as another sob tore out of her throat, and she started shaking, wanting so badly for someone to make it stop. 

“Hey.” Lucas whispered again. She could hear him moving, and suddenly she felt him beside her, holding onto her for the second time. She didn’t want to wake up this time, and she started to panic because she knew she didn’t have much time left with him. 

“I love you.” She choked. “So much.” 

“I love you too.” He whispered. She tucked her face into his shoulder, her fingers anxiously clutching the side of his jacket. 

“Please don’t go this time. I don’t want to wake up, I don’t want to lose you all over again.” 

“You’re not dreaming Max.” 

“Please stop saying that.” She managed. “Because every time you do all I can do is hope you’re telling the truth but then I wake up again. I’m so, so tired. I’m exhausted and I don’t think I can do this anymore. I can’t face your parents. I can’t show up without you, but I don’t want to be alone anymore. I’m so scared of being alone right now and I don’t know why. Usually I’m fine with it but now…” she was speaking as fast as she could, trying to tell him anything and everything before she woke up again. It all felt like a reoccurring nightmare, like she might never wake up. 

“Lucas I’m so scared.” He buried his face in her hair, pulling her closer. She sobbed into his jacket, holding him as close as possible. She  _ couldn’t  _ lose him all over again. She was sure when she woke up this time it would break her completely. 

“I know this has all been really hard for you, and I know  _ I’m  _ partly the reason for hurting you.” She didn’t answer, but she wasn’t even sure if she could even if she wanted to, but the tears were slowing faster than she’d thought they would. 

“I just, I thought I was protecting you, protecting everyone. I wasn’t thinking very clearly to be perfectly honest, but hearing you screaming my name after the station exploded killed me, Max. Well...not literally, I’m still here but, it hurt more than anything ever has.” 

“You’re all in my head.” She whispered, almost to herself, shaking her head against him. “All in my head.” 

“I swear to you Max, it’s not in your head. I’m  _ here _ . I’m  _ alive.  _ I  _ did  _ find you earlier, that wasn’t a dream, you blacked out and slept for a while.” 

“No, I’m making up excuses to try to convince myself it’s real.” 

“What’s it going to take to make you believe me?” He whispered gently. “JJ? He’s asleep right over there.” She saw his arm move, gesturing somewhere across the cave, where she could just barely make out a lump on the ground, but she shook her head. 

“Then what’s it gonna take? I know you’re scared I just want to help.” 

“I’d have to wake up and you’d still be here, but I don’t want to risk that anymore. I’d rather just stay here forever if that’s what it takes. I’ll never wake up as long as I can see you here.” 

“I promise that I’ll still be here when you wake up.” He said sincerely, his hand squeezing her shoulder. 

“I can’t…” 

“You  _ can _ . Max, you’re  _ so strong _ . We can get you through this, ok? But I need you to trust me.” 

“I  _ do  _ trust you.” She whimpered. “But right now I don’t know if I’m really talking to  _ you _ or just a figment of my imagination. This feels just like my anxiety attacks at school, Lucas. I can’t control it.” 

“Then you’re just going to have to believe me.” She wanted to so badly, and she was suddenly feeling so tired. All she wanted was to sleep, but she was too scared to.

“Please don’t go.” 

“I’m right here.” She curled herself against Lucas’s side, her fingers still clutching his jacket. She could feel his hands carding through her hair, pulling her deeper into unconsciousness, steadying out her breathing. He was so warm, which stopped her shivering both because she felt safe and no longer as cold from being alone in the cave. 

_ Please don’t let this be a dream.  _ She thought to herself.  _ Please don’t take him away again.  _

She felt herself slipping under, and Lucas whispered something to her, and even though she couldn’t make it out, she knew he was going to protect her. 

______________________________________

“Max.” 

“Lucas?” She managed, feeling her lips move but not sure if she heard any sound come out. 

“Max. You’ve gotta wake up.” It was a boy, she could tell by his voice, but this wasn’t Lucas. He shook her shoulder again, and she tried to focus on him, but her vision was blurry. 

“Max, wake up.” The boy laughed, as if her physically not being able to force herself awake was amusing. She could just make out shaggy brown hair, and a pale face. She could tell he was wearing a blue t-shirt with a brown jacket over the top, but not enough detail. 

“Will?”

“Holy crap you act like you’re drunk when you wake up, Max cmon.” She felt him lightly slap her face, and her eyes widened, blinking a few times. She squinted at the person in front of her, realizing part of the reason she couldn’t open her eyes was because the sun was right behind him. 

“JJ?” 

“Finally.” He laughed. “No offense but I’m pretty sure I’m a little bit bigger than Will is.” 

“And your hair is a mess.” She smiled, yawning. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. 

“Yeah you like it? Figured since we're in the woods I’d give it that “adventure” look.” He said, as if that was the reason and not “I’m too lazy to get it cut so I’m going to pretend it’s cool”.

“You look like you got attacked by a squirrel.” He held a hand to his chest, mock offended. 

“Ouch Mayfield.” 

“Hey, you’re awake.” Lucas said, re-entering the cave with an armful of firewood. “Believe me now?” 

She hadn’t even registered that she'd gotten up until she was running towards him, barely noticing the pain that shot through her leg with each step. He dropped the wood and held his arms out as she reached him, crashing into him so hard he probably should’ve fallen over, but he just held her tight, shifting backwards every once in a while so that he didn’t fall over when she leaned further into him. 

Her hands subconsciously moved to rest on his back as she settled against him, his arms locked behind her. His jacket was rough under her fingers.  _ Real.  _

“For real?  _ You’re  _ real?” 

“Last I checked.” She pulled him closer without hesitation, knowing for a fact that it wasn’t a dream, and that she was getting her wish. She leaned against his shoulder and buried her face in his neck, her hands automatically found their way to the front of his t-shirt, clutching the fabric in her fists. She felt more tears building in her eyes as Lucas wrapped his arms tighter around her, because she realized that almost everything she’d been holding back wasn’t even because of him anymore. Yes, she missed him an immeasurable amount but she‘d practically accepted the fact that he was actually gone, she still hoped deep down that he would come home, yes, but she had practically made it to that “acceptance” stage, and that was what scared her. 

She had mostly been worried the Sinclair’s would push her away for not saving Lucas, that her mom would be nowhere to be found and she wouldn’t have anywhere to go. She was scared of not  _ belonging  _ to someone, not having anyone to turn to, because she didn’t want to be alone anymore, didn’t want to have to imagine surviving the rest of her life by herself in the forest. She’d pushed Steve and the others away, and was filled with every single last bit of regret as she had cried the night before, because they had truly been all she had left. 

She pulled back suddenly, surprising Lucas when she shoved him back by his chest, hard enough that he almost fell back onto his butt, instead stumbling over the pile of wood only to have JJ catch him from behind, awkwardly patting his back and pushing him back towards her. 

“How could you make me think you were  _ dead _ ?” There was a sudden anger in her tone that hadn’t been there before. She glared at him, tears still gleaming in her eyes. 

“I’m sorry—”

“No! I don’t want to hear that anymore! I want you to tell me why you were being so stupid!” 

“I—I thought I was protecting you, protecting everyone. I never thought about how much it would hurt you.” His voice broke, and he tore his eyes away from her. 

“Lucas. Look at me.” She said firmly, waiting until he hesitantly lifted his head. “I watched it  _ explode _ , and you were  _ gone  _ when the smoke cleared _.  _ I thought you like...disintegrated or something.” 

“I was far enough away that I felt the heat, but it didn’t actually burn me. I accidentally ran the wrong way, I couldn’t see through the smoke and I ended up at the back of the store.” 

“And you didn’t come back?!” She exclaimed. 

“I just figured it’d be easier if you didn’t have to worry about me.” He said softly, sounding ashamed to admit it out loud. “I—I was gonna come back for you guys as soon as I found home, I swear. But, right then, the dogs were chasing me anyways and—”

“Lucas I was  _ already  _ worrying about you.” She whispered, her voice full of pain.“ _ Constantly _ . I didn’t know if you were fully healed or if you were still hurting anymore. I couldn’t tell if part of him was still  _ inside  _ you or not. I just wanted to keep you safe and you ran off.” 

“I know. I—” he stopped, looking guilty. She knew he was about to apologize again but had thought better of it. 

“I had just gotten you back.” Her words came out way more strained and weak than she’d meant for them to. “Do you know how much it hurt to lose you right after getting you back?” 

“I know. I was stupid.” 

“Well duh, obviously you’re always stupid but this time topped it.” She laughed weakly. Luckily he laughed back, closing the space between them to pull her close again. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his shoulder as he buried his face against hers. She hadn’t let anyone comfort her in days and now, with Lucas holding onto her, she couldn’t help but feel loved, safe,  _ home.  _ She should’ve allowed El to talk to her that very first night, she shouldn’t have fought with Mike, and she should’ve listened to Steve. 

“Are...are they all safe?” She couldn’t help but wonder out loud. 

“Who? Steve, El, Will? Them?” 

“Yeah...and everyone else.” 

“They’re fine.” He assured her. “Steve looked for you for hours that night and couldn’t find you. They got to the bunker at about four in the morning, found us in the late afternoon a few days ago.” 

“So you...were at home?” She sounded so full of hope that she hoped Lucas didn’t answer her differently than what she expected. 

“Yeah, I was home.” 

“I want to go home.” She was suddenly aware she was shaking slightly, Lucas either didn’t notice or didn’t say anything. She held onto him tighter. “I’m so tired of constantly being on the move.” 

“Good. That’s where we were planning to take you.” She stepped away, finally turning to get a good look at JJ. The eighteen year old looked uncomfortable, looking anywhere but at them probably because he felt like he was interrupting. 

“JJ.”

“Hm?” He turned to look at her innocently, as if trying to convince her he hadn’t been listening. 

“Your hair seriously looks like a small creature attacked you.” He huffed a laugh, moving forward to hug her for the first time. It wasn’t a hug like Lucas gave her, but different, one an older brother might give you because he actually cared, not just because mom told him to. 

“Missed you, Red.” She  _ only  _ allowed the basketball boys to call her that. And by basketball boys she meant Caleb, Jake, JJ and Chance. No one else. Troy called her that just to get on her nerves, but with the boys she never felt offended. The four of them were like her brothers. 

“You too, J.” The two broke apart and suddenly they were all standing there awkwardly. 

“Sooo?” Max asked, looking between the two boys. They just looked confused. “What do we do now?” 

A look of understanding passed between them. 

“Well we’ve gotta get you back.” JJ said, most likely taking responsibility because he was the oldest. “You’ve already been gone a full day.” 

“Seriously?” 

“You sleep like a rock.” Lucas said. “Literally you were leaning against me.” She punched his arm. 

“Ok so our game plan is: Lucas start the fire, I’ll make us some food and then we get going?” JJ asked, holding his thumbs up in question. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Lucas said, looking over to Max. 

“Yeah.” She agreed to JJ. “Oh, and Lucas?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Can you look at my leg? I couldn’t tell very well in the dark but I think the stitches reopened when I was running the other night. It...freaking hurts.” He nodded, and the three of them split. Max got a clean hoodie from her backpack while Lucas started the fire for JJ, because it made her feel at least a little cleaner. She still had to wear the same dirty jeans and t-shirt but she could change as soon as they got back. 

“That should hold at least until we get there.” Lucas said, rewrapping her leg in a clean bandage, wrapping it tighter than she had. He wasn’t very good at stitching but he knew how to do it well enough. He hadn’t even had to try, because it hadn’t been as bad as she’d thought. Only a few stitches had come off, but not enough to affect the injury on her leg. She found out most of the blood had come from the cut right under her knee from hitting a rock or something on the way down the hill. 

“Lucas?” She whispered, glancing over at JJ, whose back was to them while he cooked the sausages the boys had had in their bags.

“Hm?” He mumbled, continuing to wrap the bandage around her leg. 

“This might sound really weird but um…” He looked up at her, listening expectantly. “Can you just...hold onto me for a little bit longer? A lot has happened in the past few days and I just…I need— _ want _ someone to hold me for a little while.” She sounded desperate and she hated herself for asking, but Lucas just nodded, settling to sit beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, and suddenly all of that embarrassment went away. She felt so safe with him holding onto her, because she didn’t have to worry if he was real this time, and as she sunk against his side, her head falling to his shoulder, she finally let herself relax. She felt herself drifting off to sleep again when Lucas spoke, breaking the silence. 

“You got my hoodie dirty.” He whispered, gesturing to the cloth resting on top of her backpack. 

“Well sorry that I rolled down a hill running for my life.” She muttered, burrowing her face deeper into his t-shirt. He smelled like pine trees mixed with a teenage boy, but not in a bad way. “I’m not giving it back.” 

“The hoodie or the jacket?” 

“Both.” He laughed, reaching over to tug on the collar of the canvas jacket beside her, picking off some of the dried mud. 

“I don’t even think it fits me anymore. Looks better on you anyway.” 

“Well duh. I’m a freaking model.” She teased, opening her eyes to look up at him. “At best you’d pass on modeling kids’ clothes for a back to school commercial.” 

“Ouch.” He laughed. “Why do you show your love for me by insulting me?” 

“Who said I was showing love?” 

“You, you’re sniffing my t-shirt.” She pushed away from him, purposely pushing him harder than intended because  _ no she wasn’t.  _

“Is the food ready? I want to get out of this cave.” Lucas rolled his eyes, standing up and holding his hands out to her. 

“Wow, ok. Missed you too.” 

“I’m just kidding. You know I love you. Ok?” Her voice softened so that only he could hear, and she mentally slapped herself for sounding  _ that _ vulnerable. 

“Ok.” He mocked. 

_ “I’m serious.”  _

“And I believe you.” He raised his eyebrows in challenge and she rolled her eyes, pulling herself up by his hands. 

“You’re impossible.” 

“Ditto.” 

_______________________________________

It was taking longer than expected to get back than she’d hoped, but she knew it would’ve taken longer if Lucas hadn’t been helping her walk, her leg still wrapped in a bandage, it honestly didn’t hurt anymore, it was just that pressure made her leg stop working. 

“How much further?” She asked, accidentally leaning against Lucas a little heavier when she slipped. The longer they continued to walk down the path, the more the continuous steps on the hard dirt was making her feet ache. 

“It’s right there.” He said, gesturing about a half a mile ahead. 

Just outside of the clearing of trees was a dark, sleek, steel wall about fifty feet tall. The front gate was closed, huge matching steel doors fitted together so that there was no way it would be broken down by something other than a military tank or two. There were guards positioned everywhere at the top of the wall, kids her age and older with guns ready if any intruder or interdimensional monster got too close to the gates. 

“How did they build it all so fast?” She whispered in amazement. JJ pulled her other arm around his waist as he hung his arm over her shoulder, easing some of her weight off Lucas. 

“Not sure. It was here when I first got here. Although they didn’t have any guards or anything until about a month ago when a dog somehow got into camp. Everyone went into full blown panic even after Caleb shot it.” 

“Wait Caleb’s here? He actually survived?” 

“Well…” JJ looked down at her, smiling. “Barely. I found him half starving and carried him back to camp on my back.” 

“That’s a lie.” Lucas spoke up. “The two of them ran into camp together screaming like four year old girls being chased by a kid in a ghost sheet on Halloween.” 

“That was very specific.” JJ pointed out. 

“It was accurate.” Lucas shot back. Max laughed as they neared closer to the giant gate, which automatically opened when they got to it. Lucas yelled up a thanks to one of the guards that was controlling it, and the three of them stepped into their new home. 

There were small houses built everywhere, actual  _ houses _ , not tents like she’d expected...for some weird reason. 

_ You’ve been watching wayyyy too many tv shows _ . She thought to herself. 

There were kids running around on the paved road that ran straight down the middle of all the houses, kicking a soccer ball or throwing a frisbee or playing pickup basketball. There were a couple food booths set up on the side of the road, some kids set up lemonade stands. It looked like a normal neighborhood, except for the fact that there was a giant gate blocking it off from the rest of the outside world. 

“I gotta go help Jake with something, I promised I’d be over when we got back. You gonna be ok?” JJ asked, pulling away from her. She nodded, taking in everything. 

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got Lucas, for now.” 

“For now?” 

“Ok, I’ll get all the boys together and we’ll meet you later tonight at the campfire. See ya!” JJ said, completely ignoring Lucas’s statement. He jogged off down the road, disappearing down a dirt path that winded between a few of the houses. 

Max looked over at Lucas, who was playfully glaring at her. 

“What?” 

“For now? Are you gonna murder me or something?” 

“You never know.” She shrugged. “You’re pretty annoying.” His glare deepened, and he shook his head, making her laugh. 

“I can’t win.” 

“No you cannot.” 

“Max!” The two of them looked up as El crashed into her, almost knocking her over, making her stumble backwards and sending volts of electricity through her leg, but she didn’t tell her friend that, because she honestly didn’t care. 

She hugged El back tightly, looking up from her shoulder to see the boys walking casually behind her, smiling as they watched the two reunite. 

Max caught Mike’s eyes as she hugged El. He was wearing tan pants, with a black t-shirt and red bomber jacket similar to Lucas’s. His hair was starting to get curly, she noticed, and she wondered how long it’d been like that and she just really hadn’t paid any attention to it. He smiled, and she mouthed the words “I’m sorry” over El’s shoulder. He nodded, smiling at her, showing her that he knew she was talking about the fight they had, and that he’d already forgiven her. 

“Me too.” He mouthed back. El pulled away, and Max looked at her and gave her a smile for the first time in a long time. They’d all gotten cleaned up and had new clothes, all sporting combat boots and various bomber jackets and hoodies. Their hair had all been trimmed neater and if possible they all seemed taller, which really wasn’t any fair. Standing in the middle of all of them now made her feel a little embarrassed, covered in mud, sweat, tears and her own blood. 

As if reading her mind, Lucas nudged her. 

“Cmon. Let’s get you some clean clothes from Mr Clarke before anything else.” 

“Mr Clarke?” She asked incredulously, following his tug on her arm. 

“Yeah, he’s got like a shop set up for anyone that needs it. Usually new people the team brings in.” Dustin explained, gesturing to a tent that had been set up a little ways down the road. 

“I don’t know where he got everything but…” Will shrugged. “I’m not complaining.” He was wearing a dark green jacket and black shirt, with matching black pants. His hair was cut shorter and styled differently from his normal bowl cut, combed to the side, it made him look older, and a lot more stylish than she’d ever seen him before, it was a good look for him. 

“Team?” Max asked, Dustin’s words catching up to her. 

“There’s a lot to explain to you.” Lucas said, his tone not at all accusatory, just him stating a fact. “But first, you get clean clothes. Ok?” 

“Ok.” 

They walked into the small tent, just big enough for them to all crowd into the entrance in front of the old small carnival booth styled counter, clothes hanging up on a rack behind it. 

“Mr Clarke? We’ve got one more!” Mike called. Their teacher entered the tent from the back, his face lighting up when he saw all of them together. 

“Ahh Max I was wondering when you were going to show up.” He said brightly, leaning against the counter, for some reason even though he didn’t sound accusing, she winced.

“Yeah...uh, got lost.” She explained awkwardly. 

“I see. Well let’s see what we have here for you.” 

_______________________________________

“Better?” Lucas asked from beside her. The sun was starting to go down now, the sky glowing a dark orange. Their friends had to go home for dinner, but had promised to meet them later at the bonfire, which Lucas had told her was a nightly fire that all the teenagers went to, just to have a break from their parents since they couldn’t get away anywhere else. 

Max nodded to answer Lucas’s question, she was so much more comfortable in her new clothes, black pants and a dark gray t-shirt, a blue bomber jacket with a built in gray hoodie, which she’d pulled on snuggly around her head, her hair spilling out from under it. 

She had a pair of combat boots on like Lucas, but she’d refused to throw out  _ all  _ her old clothes, stuffing Lucas’s dirty jacket and hoodie into her backpack along with her vans. She didn’t care about her jeans or t-shirt, she gladly would have thrown them into the campfire that some of the teens were already working on. 

“Max, Lucas!” JJ called, gesturing for them to come over. Max could barely make out a faint outline of the other basketball boys kneeling next to the fire, blowing on the coals to try to get it to start, smoke billowing around them. 

“Be there in a minute!” Lucas called back. “There's still someone we need to see.” This time he said it to her, turning to face her. “They’ve been waiting for you.” 

Her heartbeat picked up a little bit. 

“Who?” She asked, trying not to get her hopes up. He could be talking about one of two people. One of them she’d been stressing about what she’d say to them for days, but still wanted to see them so badly, the other she’d been secretly thinking about, for a long time now. 

“You’ll see.” He said with a smirk, grabbing her hand and pulling her along behind him. He was going slow because of her leg and she knew it, but she didn’t care for the excuse to hold his hand longer, no matter how cheesy that sounded, she hadn’t seen him in almost a week because she thought he was dead, so she deserved some Lucas time. 

Eventually they stopped in front of a small house, it looked like a pretty normal standard neighborhood house, with navy trim and gray walls, but Lucas grabbed her shoulders, stopping her in front of the porch. 

“Wait here.” 

“O-ok?” She mumbled, watching as he vaulted the porch steps and opened the door in a single stride, disappearing into the house and leaving her alone. 

She could hear her heart start to pound. She was really hoping for both of the people she was thinking of, but one of them just a little more than the others. She rocked back and forth on her feet, letting out a shaky breath. She couldn’t remember  _ ever _ feeling this nervous. 

Footsteps started to become closer to the doorway, and she looked up hopefully, expecting to see her mother, but instead Mrs. Sinclair stopped in the doorway, looking back at her. 

She felt a little piece of her break. Yes, her mom had left her, but she’d said she’d done it to protect her. To be perfectly honest she’d forgiven her a long time ago. She wanted to see her mom again, even for just a few minutes. 

“Max.” She was aware of being pulled into Mrs. Sinclair’s arms, and suddenly all thoughts of her mom disappeared. All the pain, all the fear and want just to be loved disappeared. This woman hadn’t even birthed her, but she loved her unconditionally like she was one of her own, and Max was so grateful for her. “I was so worried about you.” 

“You were?” Her voice came out shakier than she’d meant for it to be, but she found herself not caring. 

“Of course. You’re my little girl, Max, I missed you.” She felt her chest tighten as she swallowed down the tears threatening to spill. They were tears of joy but she was so sick of crying lately. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in, exhaustion radiating off of her as she sunk deeper into the women’s arms. 

“I missed you too.” She choked and Lucas’s mom squeezed her tighter. 

“It’s ok sweetheart. You’re ok now.” She whispered. “You’re home.” 

“Max!” She pulled away just as a blur of frizzy hair crashed into her, Erica hugging her waist so tightly she couldn’t breathe. 

“Finally! When Lucas came back without you I told him to go back and find you.” Max laughed, leaning down to hug the younger girl. 

“I missed you so much.” Erica whispered, exhaling deeply as she squeezed her tighter. 

“I missed you too.” Max pulled away to look at her, measuring her height up against her. The girl was just barely below her shoulder. 

“You grew.” 

“Four inches!” Erica exclaimed excitedly, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. “Now I won’t be the shortest in my class anymore.” 

“Oh believe me I know that pain.” Max laughed, shooting a glare at Lucas, who stood to the side with his hands shoved in his pockets. 

“Oh come on you  _ know  _ I was teasing, you’re not  _ that short _ .” She laughed again, turning to face the man walking towards her. 

“How’re you kiddo?” Mr Sinclair asked, reaching out to ruffle her hair. Usually she hated when anyone else did that, but whenever it came from Lucas’s dad she felt a swelling sense of pride. She surged forward without meaning to, hugging him tight. He seemed to expect it, hugging her back the same way he did with Lucas, which made her smile even more. He reminded her so much of her own dad. The way he smiled at her and helped her with small simple things, actually listened when she was telling him about something she was interested in, it made her not miss California so much. 

She pulled away, automatically turning towards Lucas. He looked back at her expectantly, like he was waiting for something, and she rolled her eyes, holding her arms out to him. 

“You’ve already seen me but…whatever.” Lucas said as he walked over, wrapping his arms over her shoulders and hugging her tight. She smiled, letting out a happy laugh as they shifted from foot to foot. She was  _ home  _ with her  _ family _ , the people that had chosen to love her from the beginning, and hadn’t abandoned her when she needed them the most. 

She loved them all more than she could put into words. 

“Are you staying here tonight, Max?” Mrs Sinclair asked when the two broke apart. Max tensed. 

“Oh...well um—” She glanced at Lucas nervously, and he nodded encouragingly, motioning for her to go on. 

“I—I was kinda hoping I  _ could _ ...if it’s not too much trouble for you...it’s just that I don’t really  _ know _ where my mom is and so I’m kinda alone, like by myself, so I can’t go anywhere right now and I don’t wanna have to—”

“Max.” Mrs Sinclair interrupted gently. She kept her gaze glued to her combat boots, wanting to do nothing less than have to admit she needed help, especially from these people who had given her so much. She didn’t deserve to ask for more. 

“Max.” The woman said a little more firmly, and she felt her gaze involuntary lifting up to meet her eyes. She felt Lucas move closer, his shoulder brushing against hers in support. 

“We  _ want  _ you to stay here. You’re not asking too much of us, not at all. We all love you like part of the family because you  _ are _ part of the family.” 

“You belong here, kid.” Mr Sinclair finished. Max looked at them gratefully, trying to remember how she’d gotten so lucky. 

“So...if you want it, there’s a spare bed in Erica’s room. You’re welcome to take it.” 

“Do you—“ she turned to Lucas, who gave her a warm smile. “Really? You really mean it? I can stay here?” His parents nodded, and she felt an overwhelming sense of relief and joy wash over her. How had she ever been scared these people would abandon her, that they would just leave her to fend for herself in the streets? 

“I...I would love to, thank you so much.” Lucas hugged her happily, picking her up and swinging her around, and she couldn’t help but squeeze him back. 

“Welcome home.” He whispered. “You’re safe now.” 

“Welcome home.” She echoed. Erica ran forward and wrapped her arms around the both of them, Max released one of her arms to pull her closer. The words bounced around in her head as she finally understood the real meaning _.  _

_ Family.  _

_ ____ _ ___________________________________

The campfire was everything she’d expected yet not all all. It rose almost twenty feet in the air, the hot flames making you sweat anywhere that was within ten feet around it. Dustin, being the boy he was, had stood as close as possible without melting to a crisp, trying to toast his marshmallow, which immediately burst into flames. 

“Dang it!” He yelled, throwing the stick in the fire and running back over to them. Max watched as the basketball boys (who had practically tackled her all at the same time) tried to play hackysack with an old potato they’d found (don’t ask). 

“How long do you guys stay out here?” Max asked, looking around at her friends. 

“Usually ‘till about midnight. There’s not really a set curfew but the guys on duty get so annoyed when we stay out later than that.” Mike answered from beside her. 

“So...your parents don’t care?” She asked. 

“As long as they know whose house we’re sleeping at then we’re fine. We can do whatever we want.” Lucas said. 

“Well then, cmon.” Will said, catching the rest of their attention as he stood up and started to move toward the woods. “I know a spot.” 

They all glanced at each other curiously, and Max realized she wasn’t the only one Will had kept this from. 

“I don’t think I ever want to go in the woods again.” El whispered from beside Max, wrapping her arms around herself. Max Looked over at her, surprised by how worried she looked. 

“Hey, El. We’re safe here.” 

“I-I know.” El said, looking up at the boys in front of them. “It just doesn’t feel real.” 

“I know. But we’ll be fine. Ok? I promise.” El smiled at her, the two of them looking up when the boys suddenly started to jog ahead. 

“Guys!” Max called. Lucas spun around, the three others continuing to race to wherever they were going. “Where are you going?” 

“Will found this hangout the other day, no one else knows. Cmon!” She and El shared a look of wonder as they tried to imagine what kind of hangout Will had found, jogging after Lucas. They ran about three hundred yards, and Max found herself laughing as she chased after Lucas, ducking and dodging in the same way she had a few days previous while running for her life. This felt different. She was happy. 

They stopped in front of a thick oak tree, and as they looked up they realized they could even see the top because of how tall and covered in branches it was. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen.” Will said, spreading his arms wide. “Castle Byers 2.0” He kicked his foot against the tree trunk, and a rope ladder fell from the branches. 

“If you tell me there’s a tree house up there…” Max started. 

“There’s a treehouse up there.” Will said defiantly, a smile on his face. Max rushed forward, not waiting for anyone else as she started to climb the ladder. 

She actually didn’t have to climb as high as she thought, as soon as she’d reached the lowest cluster of branches she realized just how big the tree house was, but there was  _ no way  _ you could see it from the bottom. 

She wished Nate could see it, they’d always drawn up blueprints to build a treehouse, but they’d never gotten around to it. Maybe one day she  _ would  _ see him again. 

She climbed up through a small trap door, hoisting herself up to find herself in a small room, the walls lined with bookcases and shelves stuffed full of books and snacks. There were piles of beanbags and even a small couch, with a popcorn machine beside it. Anything Max would’ve imagined putting in a tree house, it was here. 

“Whoa.” The five of them said at the same time, and Max jumped when her voice seemed to echo, forgetting they’d climbed up behind her. 

“This is  _ our _ secret place. No one else can know about it, ok?” Will said, closing the trapdoor behind him. “This is the new Official Party Hangout™. No telling Steve…” he pointed at Dustin, whose shoulders dropped

“Or Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, JJ—no one. This is for us six only.” They all nodded in agreement, and they honestly weren’t mad that they couldn’t tell anyone else. After everything, they finally had somewhere to go if things got too tough. 

Max fell onto the couch, looking up at all of them. “Well, we have…” she looked at the clock on the wall. “About an hour and a half, tell me about everything I’ve missed.” 

Mike smiled, pulling a beanbag over. “The first Party Treehouse Meeting is officially in session.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter! I’m sorry that this story is ending but I’m actually just proud of where it’s gone and that I’m actually finishing, cause I suck at finishing. I’m gonna be posting other stories on this account, I already have a plan for a highschool type AU focused on Lucas and basketball (a few of his teammates were mentioned here) but I’ve got some more ideas too.  
> I’ll take some suggestions just let me know what you wanna see. (Lumax Only tho)  
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	20. A New Beginning

3 months later

Max stared at the textbook in her lap, entirely lost. She flipped ahead a few pages to find the end of the chapter, only to discover she wasn’t even halfway through it. She let out a groan, leaning her head back against the couch.

History  _ used  _ to make sense. The problem wasn’t her, it was the teacher, and she wasn’t just saying that. He was an eighty something year old man that couldn’t even hear them correctly when they asked questions, she wasn’t even sure he could hear  _ himself _ , because usually he just gave them some slurred mumbled answer that had nothing to do with their question, and he lectured for the whole hour and a half class period, so no one had any idea what he was saying and it was impossible to take notes. 

Max turned back to her paper in a last desperate attempt to find the answer to the next question, but at this point she was positive their teacher had given them the wrong chapter, again. All the questions were about the 1760’s and the chapter kept talking about the 1800’s. 

She started to write yet  _ another _ guess on her answer sheet when her pencil lead snapped, she let out a noise of frustration, tossing it onto the coffee table. Her head automatically turned to look up at the tv, which was probably a factor in her struggling with her homework, but the background noise was comforting since Lucas wasn't here to talk to her, so she left it on. 

In all honesty she’d been working on not only this stupid worksheet for over four hours, but also the rest of her homework, ever since she’d gotten home and crashed on the couch in exhaustion. She hadn’t moved, determined to do at least some of it on her own. She lifted the book off of her lap, closing it harder than she should’ve and slid it into her backpack that was laying on the ground, propped up against the couch. She would just do the rest of her homework after dinner, that way Lucas, or at least Mr Sinclair, could help her with it. 

She smiled when she realized how confident she was that they would help her. Whenever she had homework at her house she couldn’t go to Neil or Billy or even her mom to help her, because they either didn't know what they were doing or didn’t care. Neil always told her she had to figure it out herself or she would never make it in the real world, but would still yell at her when her grades came back lower than an A. It felt nice to live in an environment where someone was so willing to help her for a change. 

The front door opened and Lucas walked in, sweating and looking tired. He tossed his basketball bag next to the coffee table, falling down on the couch next to her, his backpack still on. 

“How was practice?” She asked. The boys still had managed to form a basketball team, though there weren’t any other school teams to play against, just more organized teams that other boys in their area had formed. 

“Exhausting.” He mumbled. “We had to run like fifteen ladders.” 

“You wouldn’t have complained about  _ only  _ fifteen last year.” She teased. He rolled his head to look at her, his expression blank. 

“Look at me.” He gestured to himself. “I’m out of shape.” She raised her eyebrows to challenge him, because clearly he wasn’t. Just by looking at him she could tell he worked out and was super athletic, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she had been there doing workouts with him, but he still had the blank expression, and she was trying not to laugh. 

“You’ve been running from demodogs for six months.” 

“And that’s still not enough!” He said dramatically, moving to lay on her shoulder. 

“No!” She pushed him away, backing up. Lucas gave her an innocent offended look, but she could see the smirk on his face. 

“What?” 

“You’re all sweaty, I’m not hugging you until you go shower.” 

“I’m not  _ trying  _ to hug you.” He pointed out. 

“I’m not letting you  _ touch  _ me then, better?” 

“Fine.” He stood up, struggling a little because he was probably sore and his backpack was weighing him down. Max was tempted to tug on the straps just to see if he’d fall back down. “But you owe me a hug now.” 

“How do I owe you?” 

“Because you mentioned it and hurt my feelings.” He pouted. 

“Oh shut up you big baby.” He laughed and disappeared down the hallway. She watched as he disappeared into his room, before returning a second later with a pile of clothes as he crossed the hall to the bathroom. 

“You guys are disgusting.” Max jumped, whipping around to find Erica leaning on the back of the couch. She wondered how long she’d been standing there. 

“What?” 

“Oh Lucas, you’re not out of shape at all you’re suuuuuper hot.” Erica mocked. 

“I didn’t say any of that.” Max laughed. “Not at all.” 

“You thought it.” Her face went hot. 

“Did not!” 

“Did so.” 

“Did  _ not!”  _

“So is that why you stared at him the whole way down the hall?” Erica asked, folding her arms across her chest, a smirk on her face. 

“I wasn’t staring.” Max insisted. 

“You’re a bad liar.” 

_ “You’re _ annoying.” The two of them laughed. Arguments between the two of them were never  _ really _ arguments. They both just liked to tease each other, coming up with snappy comebacks because they could both take what the other said without being offended. Max glared playfully at the younger girl. 

“What do you want, nerd?” 

“Hey! That’s my line!” 

“Not anymore.” She stuck her tongue out and Erica copied her. 

“Mom said to tell you guys dinner is ready. Buuuut, I could just tell her you’re too busy examining just how fit Lucas is.” 

“Erica.” Max warned. “I know where you sleep.” The younger girl thought about the threat seriously for a second, before running off back towards the kitchen, probably to tell her mom some weird made up thing about the two of them to try to get them in trouble, or just to embarrass them. 

She rolled her eyes and huffed a laugh, picking herself up from the couch. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and trudged down the hallway to her and Erica's room. She could hear the shower going as she passed the bathroom. 

“Lucas!” She knocked on the door, and she heard the curtain open like he was sticking his head out. 

“What?” He called over the water. 

“Dinners ready! Hurry up!” 

“K!” She continued her way to the end of the hall, tossing her backpack onto her bed. Just walking into this room you could tell which side of the room was which. Max had a bright red sheet, two pillows and a blue comforter like the one Lucas had in his old room, with a chest at the end of her bed. There was nothing in there except her skateboard, Lucas’s canvas jacket and crossbow (which he let her keep since he now had a rifle) and her old clothes. She’d decided to use it purely for sentimental stuff and her favorite things that she didn’t want to lose (hence the skateboard because she was  _ still _ going to use it when it got warmer). 

She had a nightstand on one side of the bed, with nothing but a lamp, an alarm clock and a few pictures of her and Lucas, which she’d purposely decided to keep separate from her other photos. 

Her chest of drawers was leaning up against the wall with a couple pictures from California set up on it, her and Nate on the first day of second grade, her and her dad at the skatepark, an old family picture before everything had gone wrong, they were just simple things that helped her remember. 

Erica's side of the room, however, was completely different, as if there was a line drawn straight down the middle. She had a white sheet with a bright yellow comforter. There was also a chest at the end of her bed, but it was instead full of all her toys, dolls and art supplies, and it was so full they couldn’t get the lid to shut. 

She had pictures set up, but most of them were pictures of her growing up throughout the years, like school pictures. She had a family picture from a couple years back on her dresser, and Max loved to tease her about how small she was in it, no older than maybe five or six, her little fingers curling around Lucas’s hand. 

Her nightstand was messier than Max’s, a water bottle and several candy wrappers scattered across the surface, her lamp and alarm clock shoved in the very corner of it. 

Max took this all in in only seconds, completely used to it after three months. She couldn’t remember feeling anywhere near as comfortable in her own room at her house, it was the safest part there, but she hated being cooped up alone in it, she was secretly grateful she and Erica shared instead of having separate rooms, not that there was an extra one for her anyways. 

She flicked off the light that Erica had forgotten to turn off…again, noticing that the shower was off as she passed the bathroom. She wasn’t sure why but she turned towards Lucas’s room, leaning against the door frame. 

She’d been in here several times since they’d gotten here, to hangout with and talk about their day or to study if the party had decided not to meet at the treehouse that night. 

Sometimes, very rarely, she’d have a nightmare so bad, that she’d jump out of bed and hurry to his room just to make sure he was still there. She’d never actually go in, just stopped in the doorway to make sure the room wasn’t empty, and after seeing him sleeping peacefully, she’d smile and go back to her bed. 

She couldn’t get over how much his room still looked like his old room at his house. His parents had given them permission to paint the walls, which the two of them had spent a whole weekend doing, and may or may not have gotten into a paint fight, but that was a completely different story. Now, however, his walls were the same orange color his bedroom had been before. 

There were blue curtains hung over his window, blocking out the light so his room looked darker than it was. His dresser was leaning up against the wall furthest from his bed, his gun set on the top so he could easily grab it on the way out of his room on the days he had patrol shifts. 

His bed was pushed up against the wall, with a similar blue comforter to the one she had on her bed. His nightstand was littered with pictures of the two of them and the party, as well as his alarm clock. 

He had a shelf hanging up above his dresser, filled with trophies from previous science fairs and basketball championships that they’d managed to get on one of their supplies runs. One of the reasons it looked so much like his old room is because they’d gone back to get stuff so many times. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure why she liked his room so much, maybe just because it was  _ his  _ room and not hers, because it was so familiar, and she felt welcomed every time she came in here to talk to him. 

“Whatcha doing?” Lucas asked from behind her. She jumped, spinning around in the doorway, she hadn’t heard him open the bathroom door. His hair was still a little wet, but he was now dressed in a white t-shirt and his black sweatpants, his basketball clothes piled in his arms. 

“I’m just admiring myself in your pictures, obviously. What else would I be doing?” He laughed, pushing past her into the room. She watched as he tossed his clothes into the dirty clothes hamper next to his dresser, then turned back toward her, but she kept her feet rooted to her spot in the doorway. 

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you  _ like _ my room.” 

“Looks like you don’t know any better.” She teased. 

_ “I  _ like it.” He said. “Makes me feel not so far away from my old house.” She nodded. 

“Yeah. It all feels really familiar.” She admitted. “Except your bed being against the wall.” 

“Yeah, well, I don’t need anything sneaking up on me from behind anymore.” His comment caught her off guard, it made her wonder if he still had nightmares too. 

“Yeah.” She agreed softly. “Had enough of that for a lifetime.” 

“Oh my heck you guys take forever.” Erica said, poking her head in the doorway. “C’mon or the food’s gonna get cold.” Lucas rolled his eyes. 

“Sheesh someone’s more obnoxious than usual.” 

“Someone’s uglier than usual.” His sister snapped. 

“At least I’m not short.” 

“At least I’m not a sweaty boy.” 

“I can reach stuff in the pantry.” 

“I can reach somewhere that will drop you to the floor. Care for me to demonstrate?” Max snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. Lucas looked at her, his eyes widening. 

“That’s not funny!” 

“I know, it’s not. Sorry.” She tried to look serious, but obvious she was failing because Lucas just shook his head in disappointment. 

“You’re supposed to be on my side.” 

“No I’m supposed to be out of this.” She said, holding her hands up. “I am  _ not  _ involved.” 

“Translation: she’s on my side.” Erica stated, moving back down the hall. 

“Come to the kitchen or I’m eating your baked potato, Lucas!” 

“She wouldn’t dare try.” He mumbled. Anyone that knew Lucas knew that  _ no one _ ate his potatoes, not even Max, that might result in him dumping  _ her _ for the first time. She doubted it but she wouldn’t risk it. 

“She might.” She pointed out. “It’s Erica. I don’t think she's scared of you.” 

”Rude!” She laughed. 

“Fine. You’re scary, very scary.” She said sarcastically, taking a few steps closer to him. “Better?” 

“Not really.” He mumbled. “I guess not being scary is good.” 

“Yeah I like you when you’re not scary.” He tensed, and she mentally slapped herself. 

_ Rule number 1: never bring up Lucas’s possession.  _ Even though it had been months he still felt guilty about what he’d done. He couldn’t forgive himself no matter how much Max reassured him they all had. 

“Sorry I didn’t mean—”

“Max are you ever still scared of me?” He asked, as if he genuinely wanted to know. He sounded so broken that all she wanted to do was assure him he was the complete opposite. 

“No, never. If anything you’re the person I feel the safest around.” He smiled, looking up at her. 

“You sure?” She nodded confidently. 

“100%” 

“Can I cash in my hug now?” He smiled stupidly and she huffed a laugh. 

“Yeah sure whatever.” She said cooly, but in all honesty she loved hugging him. He was always warm and she seemed to fit into his arms perfectly.

It felt no different when Lucas crossed the room and pulled her into a hug. She let out a breath as she laid her head against his shoulder, leaning into him. She hadn’t seen him all day. They only had their first hour together, and he’d had to miss it because he’d had patrol duty from one to about four or five in the morning, so he’d stayed home to get some sleep. After school he’d told her he had practice, before rushing off, and she’d had to walk home alone. 

She knew it was pathetic to miss someone so much when you lived in the same house, but he was still her best friend, hanging out with him was her favorite part of the day, and she didn’t care how cheesy it sounded. 

“Race ya to the kitchen? Winner gets the other’s dessert.” She mumbled into his shirt. 

“Oh you’re on.” He said, pulling away from her. They stared at each other for a moment, daring the other to move first. The staring contest lasted maybe about a minute when Max pointed to Lucas’s t-shirt. 

“What the heck is that?” He shouldn’t have been stupid enough to fall for it, but she was convincing enough that he looked down and Max shoved him backwards just enough to get a head start. 

They were sixteen years old and were entirely too big to go tearing through the house at full speed but they were having fun, so they didn’t care.

Max made it to the doorway first, but he pulled her back by her arm, rushing his way in front of her. Racing down the hall was the hardest part, and they both knew from experience that whoever got there first was probably going to win. 

Max reached out, grabbing Lucas’s t-shirt and pulling him back enough to trip him as she ran past, just managing to make it far enough that he couldn’t trip her back from the ground. He pushed himself up and caught up, and they both made it to the living room at almost the same time, the kitchen just on the other side. Lucas was taller, so he would make it there in fewer steps, and Max knew that, so she tripped him again the moment his foot landed where the room opened up. 

She had a clear shot to the kitchen, so she took it, but right as she made it past the couch she heard whimpering, and slowed down, turning to see that Lucas hadn’t moved from his spot on the floor, his hand clutching his ankle. 

She felt a surge of panic run through her body, because he’d been having problems with his ankle at practice, having to ice and wrap it at least twice a week. She didn’t want to be the reason he couldn’t play. 

“I’m not falling for that.” She said, but she heard the worry in her own voice. He didn’t really seem like he was faking. 

“Then  _ go _ if it really means that much to you.” Lucas said, his voice shaky. “I don’t care.” She swallowed, making her way over to him. He was right, it was just a game, getting his dessert didn't matter if he was actually hurt. 

She gently put a hand on his shoulder crouching down next to him. “Hey.” He whimpered again. 

“Where does it hurt?” She cringed the second the words came out of her mouth because he was clearly holding onto his ankle.

“Never mind. Let me see.” 

He sat up, he wasn’t crying, but there was clear pain on his face. “Right here.” He said, pointing right below the bump on the inside of his ankle. She leaned down to look, but when she did Lucas pushed her backward by her shoulders, jumping up and running to the kitchen. 

“I win!” He called from the entrance. She shook her head in disappointment, walking towards him. 

“Awww don’t be mad it’s just a game.” He said lightly, holding his arms out to her. 

“No.” She mumbled, trying to push past him. 

“Maaax.” 

_ “No.”  _ She said a little more forcefully, trying to shove him off when he tried to hug her, but he still managed to grab her around her shoulders. 

“Lucas  _ let go _ .” She said, anger creeping into her tone. 

“I’m just trying to give you a hug.” He said innocently. She pushed back against his chest, but he wouldn’t let go. 

“I hate you.” 

“No you don’t.” He said. 

“I’m mad at you.” She clarified instead, because obviously she didn’t  _ hate  _ him. “Let me go.” 

“Nope. I’m gonna hug you till you’re not mad.” 

“I’m not mad then.” She grumbled, her arms hanging at her side. 

“Liar.” She huffed a laugh, and stopped struggling against him just to get out of it faster. There was something about Lucas being stubborn when she was mad just to make her happy again that made her heart seriously burst. But she would  _ never  _ admit that to his face, much less  _ out loud.  _

“I’m not mad.” She said, less annoyed this time but still ready to punch him when she got the opportunity. 

He sensed it, but seemed to realize she was back to her regular normal, and let her go. 

“Good.” She punched him in the arm, hard. He winced, rubbing the spot as the two of them made their way into the dining room. 

“Finally!” Erica exclaimed as they sat down. Her parents both gave her a dirty look. “What?” 

“How was practice, son?” Mr Sinclair asked, stabbing one of his pork chunks with his fork. 

“Good.” Lucas said, shoveling another forkful of potatoes into his already full mouth, not even bothering to look up. Max elbowed him in the side. 

“Wha?” He questioned, looking up at her blankly. 

“Slow down.” 

“Why? I’m hungry.” He shoved another bite in his mouth, and Max exchanged a glance with Mrs Sinclair, an understanding passing between them. 

_ Boys.  _

“Are you guys planning to go study tonight?” The woman asked, waiting until Lucas was taking a drink of water and not stuffing his face. Max turned to him for an answer. 

“Yeah, we're meeting the others at eight.” He said, setting his glass down and checking his watch. 

“Which means we’ve gotta hurry.” He said, this time to Max. She nodded, taking another bite of her potato. Everyday since school had started the party had been meeting at the treehouse to study. She couldn’t remember the last time her grades had been this good. 

“Are you sure that “study” isn’t code for makeout?” Erica asked from across the table. 

Max felt her face go red, and she focused on her food,  _ not  _ because that’s what it stood for,  _ because it wasn’t.  _ It was because she would rather  _ not _ have this conversation in front of his parents. If it was just the three of them she totally would’ve made a joke just to make Erica blush, maybe kiss Lucas in front of her just to get a reaction, but his parents were right across from her so she stayed quiet. 

“It’s  _ not!” _ Lucas exclaimed. “Is that seriously all you think we do?” Erica shrugged. 

“You’ve never even seen us kiss before.” He pointed out. 

“Oh so you have then?” Erica asked, a triumphant expression washing over her face as she leaned back in her chair. Lucas glared at her, his ears turning red as he refused to answer the question with his parents sitting  _ right there.  _

“Erica leave them alone.” Her mother warned, trying not to laugh at the two teens' reactions. “Or Lucas will be getting you back when  _ you _ have a boyfriend.” 

_ “If  _ she ever has a boyfriend.” Lucas corrected under his breath, but apparently he wasn’t quiet enough because his dad kicked his foot under the table, giving him a warning glare across the table. Erica rolled her eyes, stabbing her green beans with her fork and totally ignoring Lucas’s comeback, for the first time ever. Max guessed she probably figured it was too much trouble and that he wasn’t worth it. 

“How was school, Max?” She hadn’t really expected the conversation to be turned on her so quickly, and she choked on her water. Lucas patted her back, trying really hard not to laugh. 

“You good?” His voice went an octave higher and she glared at him, then nodded, looking up at Mrs Sinclair. 

“Sorry.” She finally said when she wasn’t gasping for air. “It was fine. Just another day of school, nothing special really.” 

“How about you Lucas?” The woman asked, turning to face her son. 

“Well since I missed first hour I’m gonna need notes.” He looked at Max and she nodded, she’d already planned for it and had taken  _ good  _ notes this time. “And we scrimmaged in practice so that was fun, but like Max said, just another day of school.” 

“What about you Erica?” The girl's eyes lit up as she began telling them a story about something that had happened at school, but Max wasn’t really paying attention. Her mind started to wander as she took bite after bite, not really tasting it as she zoned out. The same thing had been on her mind ever since they’d gotten here three months ago, and she’d been zoning out more and more. 

She felt guilty about it. She shouldn’t even be  _ thinking  _ about the person. She had Lucas. That was all that mattered, but the more she told herself that the more angry she got for even worrying about it. The argument kept going back and forth, and she couldn’t decide whether it was ok for her to be worrying about—

She felt Lucas elbow her side, and she looked up at him, realizing that everyone was looking at her. 

“What?” She asked stupidly, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 

“I just asked if you're ready to go?” Lucas said carefully. 

“Yeah, sorry, just...tired.” She said, struggling to find an excuse. Just to get out quickly she scooted her chair back and stood up, Lucas doing the same. 

“Rinse your plates off and you can reuse them for dessert when you get back.” Mrs Sinclair called as they walked to the kitchen. Max wanted to say that Lucas got her dessert all because he’d faked an injury but she kept quiet.

He knew her too well though. 

“You can have your dessert.” He said, as if reading her mind. “You usually lose so I’ll get extra some other time.” 

“What a gentleman.” She deadpanned, turning on the faucet and splashing him with the water. He wiped the droplets off his face, rolling his eyes as he moved to wash off his plate, but she could clearly see the smile on his face. 

“Here.” He held out his hand when he’d set his to the side, and she raised an eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“I’ll wash it for you.” He said, gesturing to the plate in her hand. 

“Whyyyyyy?” She asked suspiciously, hesitant to hand it over. 

“Because I tricked you and it was mean. Now do you want me to wash it or not? Final offer.” She handed her plate over to him, and he scrubbed it off, stacking it on top of his beside the sink. She felt a smile involuntarily spreading on her face as she looked at him. It was already dark outside, and the lights were off in the kitchen, but the moonlight was shining through the window, casting a silver glow over his features. 

“What’re you staring at?” He asked. 

“Nothing.” She shook her head, quickly looking away. She’d been finding herself staring at Lucas more and more lately. It honestly wasn’t really something she could control. He was  _ cute,  _ so sue her.

He raised his eyebrows suspiciously, but she just pulled his wrist toward her, looking at the time on his watch. “We’ve got ten minutes. Let’s go.” 

_______________________________________

Max shivered even though she was wearing a winter coat. The temperatures had been dropping below thirty all week and there were already some small piles of snow piled up on the side of the street. She was  _ not  _ looking forward to having to study at the treehouse in the winter. She kinda hoped they didn’t. 

Lucas shined his flashlight ahead of them, the two walking one of the many familiar routes to the treehouse. They made sure to take different routes everytime, just so it didn’t wear down into a path and become more noticeable, although she was noticing some places where the leaves were more trampled, small frost coating everything else around them. 

“D-do you think the others are already there?” Max asked, mostly because her lips were freezing and if she didn’t say something now she might not be able to at all. 

“I d-don’t know.” Lucas shivered. “T-they're always either early or l-late.” He shoved his free hand into his coat pocket, his shoulders tensing in an attempt to warm himself up. 

“Here.” Max took her hands out of her pockets, taking the flashlight from Lucas because he was obviously colder. 

“T-thanks.” They walked another five minutes until they found the familiar tree, the tree house even more hidden in the branches now that it was covered in small amounts of snow. 

The ladder was already down, which meant someone had already gotten here. 

“Guess t-that answers our question.” She said quietly, pointing at the rope. He nodded, gesturing for her to go up. 

“Ladies first.” She handed him the flashlight, trying not to freak out when he turned it off and put it in his pocket, leaving her to climb in darkness. She could hear him behind her, but she didn’t look back until she’d pushed open the trapdoor, bathing the two of them in light, and warmth. 

Max hauled herself up, reaching a hand out to help Lucas up. He pulled himself up, and the two of them brushed themselves off, realizing for the first time that no one else was there. Either Will had forgotten to put the ladder up or someone else had been here. Lucas kicked the trapdoor shut, looking around the room. 

“Hello? Is anyone here?” He checked his watch. “We’re right on time. I’m not surprised.” 

“Somethings wrong.” She said softly. Lucas looked at her, concerned, and she met his eyes. “I can feel it.” He swallowed, moving to check behind the beanbags and couch, but no one was hiding behind them. 

“What feels wrong?” He asked nervously. 

“I-I don’t know…” she dropped her backpack on the couch, moving to check the small kitchen area. It wasn’t really a kitchen, there was no fridge, no sink, no food, just a counter that wrapped around the small area. 

There was a small piece of paper sitting in the middle of it, a pen sitting beside it. She leaned against the counter, reading the short message scrawled on it: 

_ Forgot something. Be back soon. —Mike  _

“Forgot what?” Lucas asked, reading over her shoulder. 

“I don’t know.” She said, tossing the note back onto the counter, but instead it caught the air and flew over the other end of the counter onto the floor. She didn’t bother trying to pick it up. “Probably making out with El somewhere.” 

“Does something still feel wrong?” He asked. She turned around, leaning back against the counter to look up at him. 

“No.” She said quietly. “Maybe...maybe I’m still just paranoid.” 

“You’re still worried something will happen?” He whispered softly. She heard the want in his voice to protect her. 

“No.” She half lied. She wasn’t worried, but somewhere in the back of her mind something kept nagging at her. 

“You sure?” Lucas said, giving her one last chance. She nodded, absentmindedly reaching out to play with his coat sleeve where his hand rested on the counter beside her. He looked down, watching her fingers brush against his wrist. He’d known her long enough that he could read her decently well, small physical touches on his hand or his arm meant she was nervous, and just wanted to know someone was actually still there. She’d done it a lot more since Billy had died, and it had increased since the alarm had gone out. Sometimes she would seem perfectly fine, like a normal day eating breakfast, but then her fingers would find his, brushing so softly against them as they rested on the table that he almost wouldn’t notice, and when he’d finally find the courage to ask her what was wrong he’d find out she’d had a nightmare, and how shaken up she’d seemed. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Yeah.” He whispered. She looked down at her feet, but her hand didn’t pull away from his. 

“Is it wrong to miss her?” She asked, her voice sounding so small that he was surprised it was even her speaking at all. 

“Who?” 

“My…” Her breath caught, and she squeezed her eyes shut, composing herself, taking a deep breath. “My mom. I—I didn’t want to talk about it in front of your parents but…” she took another deep breath, finally pulling her hand away from and folding her arms across her chest. 

“I keep…dreaming about her…” she said hesitantly. She sounded so scared, like she thought he was going to make fun of her. That’s why she’d zoned out at dinner, that’s why she’d been zoning out at random times, it was all she’d been thinking about, probably all she  _ could  _ think about. He knew she was beating herself up about it, just because he knew her. 

“No.” He whispered. She looked up at him, confused, and he clarified. “It’s not wrong for you to miss her.” 

“But I have all of you and—and that should be enough, shouldn’t it? Because she didn’t even  _ care _ about me, but _ you  _ do.” He let her talk, because he knew this had been going on longer than she’d let on. He swore he’d heard someone crying the night they’d gotten back from the treehouse her first day, but he’d brushed it off, thinking he’d just imagined it. He should’ve checked on her. “It’s not fair of me to ask you for more.” 

“Hey.” He moved closer, his hand gently closing around her arm. She was shaking slightly, but not enough for it to be noticeable. 

“What she did to you...it wasn’t fair.” He whispered. “It’s not wrong of you to want to see your mom, she’s the person that’s supposed to  _ love _ you more than anything in the world and that’s supposed to  _ take care _ of you. It’s ok to be scared, and it’s ok to be sad. I’m not going to judge you for it. You were there for me when I missed my family.” 

“Yeah but—“ she looked up at him, taking a deep breath. He saw the confidence come back, her expression hardening. “I’m sick of being scared.” 

“We all are.” He pointed out. “But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.” Her gaze dropped again, and he watched her play with her own sleeve this time, another habit because she could never stay still. 

“Do you think I’ll ever see her again?” She whispered. 

“I don’t know.” He answered honestly, because he knew how much she hated when people would sugar coat things, when they would lie to her face. “Most likely.” 

“I thought I’d forgiven her but...the fact that she’s  _ not even here _ …it kinda makes me mad that she didn’t even  _ try _ to stay, she didn’t even say goodbye.” The trap door opened, surprising the both of them, and Mike, Will, El and Dustin climbed in. Lucas glanced at her, nodding just slightly so that she knew he understood.

What she’d been trying to say is that it frustrated her more than anything, and he knew how she felt, not being able to control it.

“We’ll talk at home.” He nodded, and the two of them walked back over to the couch, falling down next to each other as they started another long night of studying. 

_______________________________________

“What is ‘sound’?” Max asked, adjusting the paper in her lap, reaching up to rub at her eyes. Her and Lucas were both sitting on opposite sides of the couches, their feet tangled together in the middle. 

They’d split into teams after they’d finished their homework, El and Mike, Lucas and Max, and Dustin and Will, so that they could get through the study guide for their science test faster. The others were spread out in bean bags since Lucas had won Rock Paper Scissors for the couch. 

“It’s a form of energy that travels in waves.” Lucas answered. 

“Ok, um…” Max scanned the page. “What type of wave pushes particles together and then spreads them apart as it moves?” 

Lucas thought about it for a moment, but not very long. “Longitudinal.” She hated him. Not  _ literally,  _ she was just currently despising him for knowing every answer. 

“When vibrations from an object slow down, how are wavelength and frequency affected?” Max asked as she sunk deeper into the couch. This was so boring.

“The wavelength gets longer and the frequency gets lower.” Lucas said, his eyes starting to close. “Next.” 

“You answered them all.” Max said, throwing him the paper. “Twice.” 

They looked out at the others, who all seemed like they’d had a can or two of Coke before they’d come. Max kinda wished she  _ had.  _

“I’m tired. You?” Lucas asked, continuing to look out at their friends, all still quizzing each other as if they were cramming five minutes before the test. 

“Exhausted.” She yawned. “If we don’t leave soon I might pass out right here on this couch.” 

“Do you want to go?” He asked, turning toward her. 

“Yeah.” She admitted, falling back against the couch again. Lucas nodded in agreement, sitting up and untangling his legs from hers to shove his stuff into his backpack. Max did the same, though she was slower. If they didn’t know better anyone that would’ve seen the two would’ve thought  _ she  _ was the one running on five hours of sleep instead of him. 

Lucas stood up, pulling on his coat and tossing Max’s hers. The others all looked up as they pulled on their backpacks. 

“Whoa...where are you going?” Mike asked, his voice turning the other three’s attention toward them. 

“Home.” Lucas said. Max yawned again, kneeling down to open the trapdoor. 

“We’ve only been here for…” Will checked his watch. “Two hours.” 

“Yeah two extra hours of school, whoop dee freakin doo. C'mon Lucas.” Max said sarcastically, already disappearing down the ladder. 

“See ya.” Lucas said apologetically, pulling the door shut behind him as he started to follow Max down. His mind kept wandering to their conversation about her mom, how broken she’d sounded. He knew what that felt like, to be so scared you felt like you had no control over anything, he didn’t want her to feel the same. 

The two started walking in silence, the only sounds being their steps on the forest floor and the annoying bugs. They didn’t talk to each other, although occasionally one of them would yawn (usually Max) which would cause the other to yawn as well, sometimes resulting in a chain reaction until they had to look away from each other just to stop. 

“Will you carry me?” Max suddenly asked from beside him. He looked up from the path, his eyebrows pinched together. 

“What? Why?” 

“Because I’m so tired, I don’t think I can walk anymore.” She whined, stopping right where she was standing. 

“I have a backpack.” He pointed out. 

“I know. Just put it in front like you did the first time.” 

“You’re really _that_ tired?” He asked. She nodded, her expression drained. He remembered how stubborn she’d been about it the first time he’d offered to carry her, and even with her leg hurt so badly that she couldn’t walk she’d refused, so for her to _ask_ _him_ probably meant she was pretty desperate. 

“Ok. Fine.” He took his backpack off, pulling it onto his chest and crouching down so that she could jump on his back. He hadn’t expected the extra weight of her books in her bag, almost dropping her. 

“Sorry.” She mumbled, already burying her face into the neck of his hoodie as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Tell me when we get there.” 

“Ok.” He whispered, a small smile creeping onto his face, admittedly feeling a little warmer with her on his back. He walked for a little while, their conversation still bouncing around in his brain. He wanted so badly to talk to her, but he didn’t want to push her too much. 

“Max?” He finally asked. 

“Hm?” She mumbled, not lifting her head from his shoulder. 

“About your mom…I know you feel like you have no control, and that’s frustrating.” 

“Mhm.” She answered. 

“But you don’t have to worry about it all by yourself. If you’re ever feeling upset or whatever just talk to me, ok? I won’t make fun of you or anything and I won’t even say anything if you don’t want me to. I’ll just listen.” 

“M’kay.” She was half asleep but he knew she was still listening as best she could.

“I love you.” He said softly, craning his neck to look at her. She smiled, her eyes still closed as she burrowed herself deeper into his shoulder. 

“Love you too.” When she didn’t say anything else he could tell she’d fallen asleep by the way she sunk against him, a smile on her face. 

_______________________________________

As it turned out, Lucas didn't bother to tell Max when they’d gotten home. 

When he’d walked through the front door, his parents were in the living room watching a movie on the couch, and Max was knocked out on his back, breathing deeply against his neck. 

His mom made a move to speak, probably to ask him how studying had gone, but he gestured for them to be quiet, pointing to Max on his back and starting to make his way down the hall.

He stopped in the doorway of his bedroom and tossed his own bag into the depths of his dark room, suddenly feeling a thousand times lighter, then continued down the hall to the girls room. 

He pushed the door open as quietly as humanly possible, and luckily Erica was already fast asleep, the covers pulled up so far over her head that the light from the hallway wouldn’t have woken her up anyways. 

Lucas gently sat Max down on her bed, pulling her backpack off her shoulders and carefully leaning it up against the bed beside her trunk, all while trying to hold her up simultaneously. He laid her down, pulled off her shoes, and pulled the blankets over her, where she automatically sunk into the warmth. He pushed her hair out of her face, windblown and cold from being outside, and kissed her forehead. 

“Goodnight Max.” He whispered. She shifted further down into the warm bed, and a small smile creeped onto her face, as if she knew he was there. 

Adjusting the covers a little bit more before he left, he slipped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him, leaving it open just a few inches, so that neither of the girls would freak out if they woke up in the middle of the night. 

He made his way back down the hallway and into the kitchen. His and Max’s desserts were sitting out for them on the counter, untouched. He put them both in the fridge, saving them for later. 

He grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filling it up with the faucet. Without meaning to, he gulped down the water in less than five seconds, panting for breath as he filled it back up again, this time drinking it slower. 

“How was it?” His dad asked when he walked back out into the living room, falling down onto the couch beside them. 

“Good.” He said simply. “We got all our homework finished then studied for the science test tomorrow.” He reached for the popcorn bowl, and his dad slapped his hand away. 

“Max seemed tired.” His mom said. 

“Yeah.” He nodded. “We left because the two of us could barely keep our eyes open.” 

“Well, I guess you’d better go get some sleep, then.” He nodded, standing up and saying goodnight to his parents, before heading back down the hall to his room. He changed into a pair of different sweatpants and a t-shirt, brushing his teeth and washing his face before he finally settled into his bed. He felt himself automatically start slipping under the warmth of his blanket and familiarity of his bedroom, and he focused on the sounds of the tv in the living room, not noticing until how tired he was until he was snoring. 

_______________________________________

“Lucas!” His eyes snapped open and he sat up, almost hitting Max where she stood leaning over him, shaking his shoulder frantically. She was wearing her bomber jacket over her hoodie that she’d fallen asleep in, her hair slightly messy like she’d just woken up. 

“What?” He asked, sitting up. He could see the fear in her eyes, her chest rising and falling with each anxious breath she took. He almost reached out for her, but decided against it. “Nightmares?” 

“No.” She shook her head quickly. Until then he hadn’t noticed the noise outside. It sounded like the whole town was outside his house, all yelling and screaming. He started to climb out of bed, and Max shifted, backing up a little to give him some room. Because of the light coming in through the hallway, he could just barely make out an outline of her, making him realize that she was holding his old crossbow tightly in her hands. He tensed, looking up at her darkened face. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, leaning over to pull on his shoes. 

“There’s something out there. I woke up to…cmon it’s hard to explain.” She grabbed his arm and started to tug him towards his door, but stopped at the last second. 

“Bring your gun just in case.” She said, turning around to look at him. He was starting to freak out. 

“Max—”

“Just trust me ok!” She snapped, but it wasn’t the usual frustrating tone, her words laced with fear. He quickly grabbed his gun off his dresser, pulling the strap on around his chest, following Max out to the living room and out the front door, which was hanging open, his parents and Erica already on the porch. 

His guess wasn’t very far off, most of the people in the area were standing on their front lawns or porches in their pj’s. They were all looking in the same direction, orange glowing flames towering right outside the wall, the smoke filling the sky, making it look like sunset instead of three in the morning. 

“Max! Lucas!” The two of them tore their gaze away from where everyone else was looking, turning towards their friends as they ran toward them. They pushed past Erica and her parents, rushing down the small porch stairs to meet them halfway down the lawn. Will and Mike were dressed, but Dustin and El, like the two of them, were still in their pjs. 

“What’s going on?” Lucas asked seriously. 

“Something—or  _ someone _ attacked the wall while Mike and I were on patrol.” Will said, panting for breath. 

“Attacked?” Max asked. 

“Threw something.” Mike explained. “At first it just started emitting some green smoke stuff but pretty soon the entire thing exploded.” 

“I would’ve fallen off the wall if Mike hadn’t caught me by my jacket.” Will said, shuddering at the memory. 

“Why not put it out?” El asked from beside Mike. “The fire.” She and Dustin looked confused, as if they hadn’t heard any of this either. 

“We  _ can’t _ . We tried and it just made it worse, like water fuels it.” 

“And this... _ person _ , or whatever it is, is still out there?” Dustin practically exclaimed, his voice going a few octaves higher out of fear. 

“Probably!” Will answered, his voice rising as he spun around to look at his friend. “We're on the edge of the forest, they could be hiding anywhere and there’s nothing we can do!” 

People started to yell, and the six of them looked up as several bodies rushed past them, running the opposite way. 

“What’s happening?” Lucas asked, his eyes widening in alarm, scanning anything and everything. 

“L-Luke.” Max pointed a shaky finger down the road, the crowd splitting just enough for them all to make out a pack of demodogs sauntering down the street, lined up on the whole road, blocking anyone from trying to reach the gate, daring anyone to confront them. The fire behind them made them look bigger and scarier than ever before. Lucas felt Max’s hand slip into his, shaking slightly. He squeezed it. 

“How—how'd they get in the gate?” El asked, moving closer to Mike. 

“I—I...” Mike was so pale there was no way he would’ve been able to form a coherent sentence to answer. 

“What do we do?” Dustin whispered. 

“Get inside.” Lucas said, pushing Max toward the house. “C'mon, everyone. Go!” 

Erica was hiding her face in her mom's side as Mr Sinclair slowly pulled them inside, his expression relaxing when he saw Lucas and Max coming back. 

Mike, El, Will and Dustin were already through the door when Max heard Lucas yell out from behind her. She whipped around in time to see him drop to his knees in the grass, his hands over his ears. He yelled out in pain, doubling over. The voices were back, and they wouldn’t stop. 

_ Finish them off.  _

_ Kill the girl. She’s distracting him.  _

_ Kill the others, bring me the one.  _

_ Touch Max and I’ll kill you myself.  _ His own voice interrupted the others, giving him just enough strength to sit up a little more. 

Max rushed over to him, dropping to her knees beside him, anxiously glancing between him and the demodogs approaching closer. 

“Lucas, what is it?” 

“Max…” 

“Hey I’m right here. It’s ok. Just tell me what’s wrong.” 

“He’s back.” He growled, looking up at her with tears in his eyes.  _ Don’t hurt her _ . “We’re not safe anymore.” 

She pulled him to his feet, helping him to the porch and handing him off to his dad, who helped him inside. She shut the door behind her, locking the door even though she knew that wouldn’t help, and leaned her head back against the door, feeling tears spring to her eyes. Lucas was watching her anxiously. 

_ “We’re not safe anymore.” _ His words echoed in his mind, forcing him to see the harsh reality once again. Somewhere outside someone screamed, and Max sunk to the floor with a shaky breath, Lucas automatically sat next to her, holding onto her like she would disappear. 

The house was as quiet as the day it had all started, the only difference being the screaming outside instead of complete silence.

_ “We’re not safe anymore.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! I’m guessing this probably wasn’t the ending everyone was expecting. I decided to post today instead of yesterday because it felt more fun to end my first story on my birthday.  
> I’ll still take suggestions for Lumax stories, just comment here or DM me on my Instagram (@_stranger_lumax)  
> New story coming very soon.  
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


End file.
